Chapter 3
The children gasped in amazement. They looked in the closest shop window to find that it sold all kinds of cauldrons; copper, brass, pewter, silver, self-stirring, collapsible.
"You will need one of those," Hagrid told the children. "But first we need to get your money."
As the children walked down the street, they kept turning their heads getting whiplash as they tried to look at everything at once. There were shops that sold robes, wands, sweets, owls, brooms, and just about anything else they could imagine.
At the end of the alley, there was a large building which had the name Gringotts written in shiny gold letters across the top of the entrance.
"Gringotts, the wizard bank, it is probably the safest place to keep something, unless it is at Hogwarts of course," Hagrid explained. "You would be mad to try to rob it; it is run by goblins after all."
"Good morning," Hagrid said to the goblin at an empty counter. "We would like to withdraw money from Harry Potter's safe and the Hogwarts supplies fund."
The Hogwarts supplies fund was for children who didn't have enough money for their school supplies or if they came from a muggle family and they did not use wizard money.
"Oh and I have a note from Professor Dumbledore about you-know-what in vault you-know-which," Hagrid said as he handed the letter to the goblin.
"Hagrid, what is in the vault?" Henry asked.
"Nothing you need to know about," Hagrid replied.
"Very well," the goblin said. "Griphook! Come over here and escort these people to their vaults" the goblin yelled to a younger one.
Griphook escorted them to the small cart that would take them to their vaults. Once they had all squeezed into the cart, they began their long journey downwards through the long winding tunnels underneath the bank.
Harry tried to remember all of the turns the little cart made, but it was impossible. The cart finally stopped beside a small door in the wall.
"Mr. Harry Potter's vault," the goblin said in a monotonous voice.
Once Griphook had opened the vault, all Harry did was stare. There was what seemed like a mountain of gold, silver, and bronze coins.
"Wow!" Harry exclaimed amazed. "Where did all of this come from?" he asked.
"Your parents," Hagrid replied.
Harry was sure that the Dursleys didn't know about this because if they had they would have whisked it away from Harry faster than he could say Muggles.
"The gold ones are Galleons, the silver ones are Sickles, and the little bronze ones are Knuts. There are seventeen Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. Easy enough to remember," Hagrid explained.
Harry took a handful of coins and put them in a pouch that Hagrid had given him.
"Next vault, the Hogwarts supplies fund," the goblin said.
They all got back into the tiny cart and started onward towards the second vault.
"Hogwarts supplies fund," the goblin stated once they reached the second vault.
"Here," Hagrid said as he gave Grace and Henry a small pouch. "Fill these up."
The children were shocked by how many coins were in the vault. There was even more money than there had been in Harry's vault.
"Next vault, seven hundred and thirteen."
They got back into the cart once more and headed off into the darkness.
When they arrived at the last vault, Hagrid told the children to stay in the cart. They all tried to peer around him as the vault was opened. This vault was different than the other two, it didn't have a keyhole. Griphook had to run his finger down a crack and the vault door creaked open. At first there looked like there was nothing inside, but then Hagrid bent down and picked up a tiny package and put it in his upper left shirt pocket.
"Alright time to go," Hagrid said when he got back into the cart.
The cart started moving very fast in the opposite direction. It took a while to go back up to the main level, but eventually they were all standing safely on solid ground.
"Alright, now that we are done, lets go get you three some robes," Hagrid said excitedly after exiting the very small cart.
They departed Gringotts to be hit by the warm sunshine. They headed down the alley to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Hagrid let them go inside by on their own because he claimed that he needed a drink after that wild cart ride.
As the children walked into the shop, they noticed a blonde boy who was already getting fitted for his robes. When he saw them he looked them up and down before sneering.
"I take it you're all going to Hogwarts?" he asked.
The children all nodded.
"Do you any of you play Quidditch?"
"No," the children answered. They didn't even know what Quidditch was.
"Do you know what house you'll be in?" the blonde boy asked.
"No," the children said again.
"Well no one really knows what house they will be in but I know that I will be in Slytherin. My whole family has been in that house for generations! I would leave if I was in Hufflepuff though," he scoffed.
The children's dislike for the blonde boy grew every second. Eventually he left and Madam Malkin went over to attend to them. She seemed to measure every inch of their bodies, including measuring in between their eyes. Just then Hagrid tapped on the window.
"Are you three almost done?" he asked.
"Yup, we've just finished," Grace replied.
They visited Flourish and Blotts quickly, where all of their school books were on display in the front window. They were out of there in no time. The children had a great time at the Apothecary. It had a terrible smell, like bad eggs and rotten cabbages. The children did not care much for the smell, but there were so many cool potions ingredients to look at that they ended up staying in there longer then they had planned to.
After they left the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Grace's list.
"Just wands left, we have to go to Ollivanders for those, oh and I have to get the three of you something for your birthdays."
The children all flushed red and started stammering.
"You don't have to–" Henry started.
"I know I don't have to, but I'm going to," Hagrid replied. "I think I'll get each of you an owl."
Thirty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium. Harry had picked out a beautiful white snowy owl. Grace chose a silver barn owl, and Henry selected a spotted owl that was a nutmeg color.
"Don't mention it," Hagrid said once they had exited the shop. "Just Ollivanders left now, the only place to get your wands."
This is what the children were really looking forward to.
"Good afternoon," a soft voice said from the back of the room. The children jumped because they could not see were the voice had come from at first. Out of the back room came a small white haired man with silver eyes that shimmered like the moon.
"Hello," the children said awkwardly.
"I was wondering when I would be seeing you three," Mr. Ollivander said. "Your parents bought their wands here, Mr. Potter. Mr. Mills your father also bought his wand here, and your mother, Miss Hatter."
Grace and Henry were shocked; they didn't even know their other parents. Harry felt just as shocked but he didn't show it.
"Who is my father?" Henry asked.
"You look just like him but you have your mother's eyes," Mr. Ollivander said in a mysterious voice. "But it is not my place to tell you who he is."
Henry sighed, he knew it wouldn't have been that easy but he had to try.
"Every wand has a powerful magic substance at the core," Mr. Ollivander explained. "Such as unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and dragon heartstrings. No two wands are exactly alike, just like no phoenix, unicorn, or dragon are exactly the same. Miss Hatter, try this one."
He handed her a 9-inch maple and unicorn hair wand. As soon as the wand touched her hand, it started glowing.
"That is the one for you," he said as a smile graced his face. "Now onto you Mr. Mills, hmm…" he said as he went to the back of the shop in search of the perfect wand for Henry. "Here, try this one; it is a 12 inch silver lime with dragon heartstring."
Henry's hair was pushed back when he held the wand. He felt magic flowing through him, coursing through his veins.
"Bravo, very good, very good indeed!" Mr. Ollivander said happily. "Mr. Potter I do believe that it is your turn now."
Harry's eyes twinkled in excitement.
"How about…an 8 ½ ebony and unicorn hair," Mr. Ollivander said as he handed the wand to Harry.
Nothing happened.
"Well give it a wave."
Harry waved the wand and the lamp on the front desk exploded.
"No that's not it, try this one," he handed Harry a 7 inch maple and phoenix feather wand. Harry picked it up and flicked it and some boxes flew off of the shelf.
"Well how about this one, it is an unusual combination being an 11 inch holly and phoenix feather wand."
Harry picked up several wands and they all had the same effect, they did nothing.
Harry picked up the wand and as soon as he touched it he knew it was the right one. Little gold and red sparks flew out of the end like fireworks.
"Curious…curious," Mr. Ollivander said after a while.
"Sorry, but what's curious?" Harry said confused.
"I remember every wand that I ever sold and it just so happens that the phoenix that supplied the core for this wand gave just one other feather. It is very curious that you are to be given this wand when its brother gave you that scar."
Harry gulped.
"The wand chooses the wizard or witch; I think we can expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…After all You-Know-Who did great things, terrible, but great things."
Harry shivered and the children paid for their wands and left the store quickly.
"Here is your train tickets for Hogwarts you three, it leaves at 11 o'clock sharp on the first of September at King's Cross station. Hagrid waved his pink umbrella at them and they were all magically transported home as the clock struck twelve.