Chapter 4: Diagon Alley
The morning that Mrs. Macmillan took Jeff and Alice to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies was dull and rainy. However, this dreary weather didn't bother Alice; she had been waiting for this day for weeks and weeks. Today, she would finally be able to introduce Jeff into the wizarding world once and for all, read brand new school books...and get her wand. Alice couldn't wait to put her fingers around the handle of her wand, the outlet of her power, the wand that would choose her.
Mrs. Macmillan, Alice, and Jeff each grabbed a handful of Floo powder and crowded near the kitchen fireplace. Jeff looked at the green powder in his hand, not knowing exactly how it worked. Alice could tell that he was very nervous about traveling with it and entering the magical world, so she smiled at him in an attempt to reassure him. "It's not that bad. Trust me," she said in what she hoped was a soothing voice. Then, she threw the powder into the flame, walked into it, and yelled, "Diagon Alley!" loudly and as clearly as possible.
Watching Jeff's face at the sight of Diagon Alley was one of Alice's favorite parts of the entire trip. His mouth was dropped open in wonder, his eyes became as big as saucers, and he had the innocent expression akin to one seeing the ocean for the first time. Alice had been to Diagon Alley many times when she went with her mother to sell ingrediants to various apothecaries, so this was not a new experience for her. In contrast, as Jeff, who had never seen anything more magical than the plants in Mrs. Macmillan's garden, beheld the sights of the magical "shopping center" he obviously could not believe his eyes.
Mrs. Macmillan hurried Jeff and Alice along to Gringotts and tried to make the endeavor quick so that they would be able to have plenty of time to get to all the shops. Of course, Jeff oohed and aahed at the bank, was politely shushed by Mrs. Macmillan when he tried to ooh and aah at the goblins, and proceded to ooh and aah at the carts and the vaults. Alice had to admit, by the time she was blinking in the bright light as they emerged from the bank, she was quite sick of Jeff's continued marveling.
When Jeff shouted, "Hey Wallace, look at that! That store is selling brooms! You know, the kind you ride on!" Alice replied, "Jeff, do you know how honestly annoying you're getting?"
Jeff just shrugged and countered, "Well, you would have liked to be able to do this the first time you came inside my house, wouldn't you, Wallace?"
As the memory returned to Alice's mind, she had to agree. Walking inside Jeff's house and acting like it contained nothing out of the ordinary was one of the hardest things she had ever done. She had found herself on countless occasions wanting to ask what the purposes of certain objects were, but was always able to stop herself. Alice remembered how she was so afraid to say something wrong that she said nothing at all for an entire hour.
Before they could enter Flourish and Blotts, they were stopped by a short, plump woman with graying brown hair and a blue handbag, who was accompanied by a son and a daughter. Alice recognized the woman as Mrs. Longbottom, a woman who had helped set Mrs. Macmillan up with the apothecaries to which she now sold her plants. There was something about Mrs. Longbottom that bothered Alice. Perhaps it was merely the fact that she was so interested in her. She would ask her questions about how she liked living in the village and if she had any friends there. She was probably just trying to be friendly, but somehow Alice was bothered when adults were too friendly with children.
Alice had never met Mrs. Longbottom's children. They introduced themselves as Frank and Michelle Longbottom. Frank was tall, and had brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He introduced himself as going into his third year at Hogwarts. Michelle was a minature version of Frank, but with softer features. Her light brown hair was arranged into pigtales, and she was carrying a copy of Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. Frank shook hands with Jeff and smiled at Alice. Alice took note of his sharpened manners and confidant attitude. He seemed to have no trouble meeting new people or getting conversations started.
"So you're a family friend?" he asked Jeff politely, having heard the introduction made by Mrs. Macmillan. When Jeff nodded, Frank smiled warmly.
"Don't worry about Hogwarts," he advised cheerfully. "My best friend Thomas is Muggleborn, and he is doing very well at Hogwarts. He's top of the Hufflepuff third years in charms! In fact-there he is now! If you'll excuse me." And, without ceasing his good manners, he smiled at his new acquaintances and hurried off to join his friend.
Mrs. Longbottom and Mrs. Macmillan were in deep conversation-about the process of sending a first-year child to Hogwarts, no doubt-so Alice persuaded them to wave her, Jeff, and Michelle off to Melton's Robes and Cloaks to be fitted for their for robes for school.
The lady who fitted them for their robes was very cheery. She had them each sit down, and she and her assistant went right to work measuring them and pinning pieces of fabric on them. After a few pleasant minutes of this, Michelle broke the silence.
"So what house do you think you will be in?" she asked them curiously.
Jeff had a blank look on his face, so Alice replied, "I don't know. Most of my family has been in either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Both my parents were in Ravenclaw. What about you?"
Michelle shrugged. "Probably Hufflepuff," she said. "I hope so. I mean, almost my whole family has been a part of it, and I do hope to be in the same house as my brother."
Michelle's excitement and attitude toward her older sibling reminded Alice of Peggy to some extent. Alice knew that whatever house she was in was bound to be the house her sister would be dreaming of. Peggy wanted to do everything Alice did. Unless, of course, it involved boyish games or becoming coated in mud.
"What about you?" Michelle asked Jeff politely. Like her brother, she did not seem inclined to leave anyone out in her dealings with people.
Jeff shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I've heard of the different houses, what they are at least, but I don't know which one I would fit best in. None of my family has ever been to Hogwarts before."
Michelle smiled simpathetically. "Don't worry," she said. "The only house you don't want to be in is Slytherin, and you won't have to worry about that since you're a Muggleborn."
Jeff looked at her in bewilderment. "What do you mean?" he asked, his brow furrowed. Alice had not talked with him about the prejudice many purebloods had toward Muggle-borns. To her it was ridiculous and unacceptable, and she didn't see the point of bringing it up to Jeff.
"Oh, the Slytherins are just so picky. They think the only people who are any good are the people who are from all-magical families, and quite frankly, they're full of it."
Jeff didn't look happy about this piece of information, and Alice hoped that he would not ask her too many questions about the subject. She knew he would learn how rude some purebloods could be when he got to Hogwarts.
The three incoming first-years completed their fittings in silence, and eventually the women came into the shop to pay for their robes.
The rest of the shopping went by quickly, but Alice had a great time. She and Jeff acquired school books-along with some magical adventure books that the two soon-to-be Hogwarts students couldn't resist-and they also bought cauldrons, potions ingredients, and at last went to Ollivander's to get their wands. Alice was very pleased with hers; she had wanted a wand with dragon heartstring. Her day, already one of the best she had had in weeks, was topped off when Mrs. Macmillan bought Alice a beautiful brown owl as a going-away gift. Alice named him Gawain, after the hero in one of her favorite Muggle stories that she shared with Jeff.
That night, when Alice lay in bed she looked across the room at her pile of schoolbooks, her wand, and the empty cage in which Gawain would sleep. She felt that everything was the way it should be, and she thought that things could not possibly get any better.