Diagon Alley

Chapter five

Long one this time!

I looked over the list again. There was so much stuff that Harry and I needed to purchase. I don't understand how that would be possible seeing as we had no money in our possession. With this list of supplies, it would seem that we would need a lot.

"Can we find all of this in London?" Harry asked.

"If you know where to go," Hagrid winked leading us into a dark place called The Leaky Cauldron. There were many people inside talking amongst one another.

"Ah, Hagrid," the barman said. "The usual I presume?"

"Not today, Tom, I'm on official Hogwarts business. Helping the Potters buy their school supplies."

The chatter died down immediately. It was so quiet I thought I could hear some mice squeaking.

"Bless my soul," Tom gasped. "It's really Harry and Haylee Potter."

"Welcome back children, welcome back," an old, funny looking man shook our hands.

"H-Harry P-P-Potter a-and Haylee P-Potter," a man with a purplish colored turban came up to the three of us. "W-What a p-pleasure it i-is."

"Hello Professor, I didn't see you there," Hagrid said. "Harry, Haylee, this is Professor Quirrell. He will be your teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

""Fascinating subject," Quirrell said. "Not t-that you would n-n-need it."

"I'm sorry to cut this meeting short, but we should be off," Hagrid said. "Much to buy."

"Nice meeting you," I held out my hand for him to shake. Instead, a look of horror swept across his facial features. Something was odd about him. I just couldn't place my hand on it.

"Did you see that?" Hagrid asked exiting out the back of the building to a big, brick wall. "You're famous!"

"But why are we famous, Hagrid?" Harry wondered. "All of those people in there how is it they know who we are?"

"It's a bit creepy if you ask me," I added.

"I'm not sure if I am the best person to answer that," he pulled out his handy dandy umbrella. Tapping the tip of it against the bricks in a very random order, they began to move and change. It was the oddest thing I had ever seen. All of the bricks moved to the side making a doorway of some kind.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Hagrid said.

"Whoa," we gasped in amazement stepping into the crowded street. Lining each side of the street were dozens of small shops. Making our way down the cobblestone path, I couldn't help but gaze at everything.

"There is where you will get your quills and your ink," Hagrid told us. "And over there is where you will find all of the necessary things you need to practice your wizardry."

"Harry, check out that racing broom," I pointed at the model in the store window.

"How do you know it's a racing broom?" He asked.

"Cause those kids said it," I answered. "Hagrid? How are we to pay for all of this? We don't have any money?"

"There's your money, Haylee. No need to fret," Hagrid pointed right ahead of us. "Gringotts, Wizard Bank. Ain't no safer place, 'cept maybe Hogwarts of course."

The bank looked huge on the outside. It appeared to never stop, but the inside was even bigger. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, marble floors, it was better than our banks back home. The only thing I found odd were the "people" running the bank, but they were not people.

"Hagrid, what are those things?" I asked in a whisper.

"They're goblins, Haylee, really clever beings. But they are not the most friendly. Best stay close."

"Are all of them this small" I asked. I did not receive an answer.

Coming up to the end of the long walkway, we stopped at what I would have guessed as the head goblin. Hagrid coughed to get its attention.

"Harry and Haylee Potter wish to make a withdrawal," he explained.

The goblin put down his quill and peered down at us. He was intimidating I say. His long nose and ears man, what could I say.

"And would Mr. and Miss. Potter have their key?" He asked. Key? You needed a key to get in this place? We were in trouble, we had no key.

"Wait a minute, I have it here somewhere," Hagrid dung through his pockets. "Here we go," he placed it on the desk. "And there's something else as well. Dumbledore gave me this," he handed a slip of paper into the goblins long, pointy fingers. "It's about you know what in vault you know which." Was that a code of come kind?

"Very well," the goblins mood perked up. "I will get Griphook to go with you. Griphook!"

"Yes, sir," another goblin rushed over.

"Take these three to the Potter vault," the goblin went back to writing.

"Of course sir, follow me please," we followed Griphook to a cart.

Piling into the many carts, we headed down into the cave? We were going underground? That was odd, but I guess that mad sense, there were a lot of wizards and witches, so I figure the bank would need a lot of space, but underground? It was pretty cold as well.

"Vault 687," Griphook stopped the cart. He hopped out. "Lamp please," I handed it to him getting out of the cart as well. "Key please," Hagrid gave it to him.

With key in hand, Griphook placed it into the small hole in the side of the wall. The sound of tiny gears clicked and the door swung out towards us. My jaw dropped to the floor. There, inside the vault, were plies and plies of gold coins shimmering from the light. Holy crap!

"Didn't think you're mum and dad would leave you with nothing did ya?" Hagrid asked. I couldn't stop staring at it all.

"Vault 713," Griphook announced when we came to the next vault. I wondered what was so important about this that Dumbledore wanted something from it.

"What's in there, Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Can't tell ya," he said. "Hogwarts business." Must be very important then.

"Stand back!" Griphook ordered.

The door came open again and all that was inside was a minuscule package wrapped up in a cloth. Hagrid went in and snatched it.

"Best not to mention this to anyone," he stored it away in his coat pocket.

"OK," we nodded.

"We still need a wand," I looked over the list for the final time.

"A wand? You want Ollivander's, ain't no place better. Why don't you two run along and get your wands. I still have something left to do."

"OK,"

A bell went off once we entered the final shop. Carefully, we put our packages, the ones that we could carry, onto the shelf and looked around. No one was in here.

"Hello?" Harry asked there was no answer, so he tried again. "Hello?"

An elderly man with white hair slide along the wall. He smiled down at the two of us.

"I wondered when I would see you two," he came down from the ladder. "It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands."

"You knew our parents?" I asked.

"Doesn't everyone these days?" he said. "Who would like to go first?"

"Harry does!" I sat down on the vacant chair.

"Very well then," he handed my brother a wand. "Try this one."

"What do I do with it?" Harry asked. He was so dumb.

"Give it a wave," Ollivander said. With a flick of his wrist, an entire row of boxes flew from the shelves. I don't think that that was a good wand.

"Apparently not," he got another wand and gave it to Harry. That time when he swished it in the air, the vase on the table exploded. "No, no defiantly not." Harry was a hard customer. Maybe the third time will be the charm.

When Harry placed his hands on the third wand, a light breeze came from somewhere. Was that supposed to happen?

"Curious, very curious," Ollivander said.

"What's curious?" Harry asked.

"I remember ever wand I have sold Mr. Potter. It so happens that the Phoenix whose tail feather resides in this wand, gave another feather. Only one. It is curious that you should be destined to have this wand when its brother, gave you that scar."

"And who owned that wand?" Harry asked.

"We do not speak his name," Ollivander said. "The wand chooses that wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why, but it happens. However, I think that it is clear that we can expect great things from you and your sister. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Named did great things too. Terrible, but great."

"That's a great story," I interrupted. "Can I get my wand know?"

"Certainly," Mr. Ollivander went back into the halls of wands and Harry took my seat. This was exciting!

"Try this one; it is eleven inches, mahogany with a core of unicorn." Unicorn? That sounds fun.

The moment my fingertips touched the dark wood, I felt a tingly sensation run through my body. Did that mean the wand picked me? Wow, first try.

"Another curious one," Ollivander stated. "This wand is similar to your fathers. A trouble maker if I do say so myself."

"That's my sister for you," Harry said. "Always getting into trouble."

"Shut up, Squirt," I stuck my tongue out at him.

"I am not a squirt," Harry said.

"Right," I rolled my eyes. "How much?"

"14 Galleons," we paid the man.

"Harry, Haylee," Hagrid knocked on the window. "Happy Birthday." I his hands were two cage each holding an owl. One was white with tiny black spots and the other had a white chest with a brown head and brown wings. Hagrid shouldn't have. He was too sweet!

We were finally done buying all of the things we needed for school. It took forever! Hagrid managed to book us a room at The Leaky Cauldron and the three of us were currently eating dinner. Hagrid and I were having a nice conversation while Harry was unusually quiet and played with his food.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hagrid asked. "You seem quite."

"He killed our parents didn't he?" Harry asked. "The one who gave us these scars? You know Hagrid, I know you do."

"First and understand that not all wizards and witches are good," Hagrid looked between Harry and I. "Some of them go bad. A few years ago, one went as bad as you could go, and his name was V…."

"Maybe if you wrote it down," I said.

"I can't spell it," he said. "His name was Voldemort."

"Voldemort?" We asked. That was a weird name. What was with this world and odd names?

"Shhhhh," he said. "Don't say it out loud! It was dark times you two. Dark times. Voldemort was gathering followers. Brought them over to the dark side. Anyone who stood up to him ended up dead. You're parents fought him off as hard as they could, but as you can see it didn't end up right. No one lived when he decided to kill them. No one, but you two."

"Us?" I asked. "Voldemort tried to kill us?"

"Yes, those aren't ordinary cuts on you forehead and neck either," Hagrid explained. "A mark only like that comes from being touched by a curse, and an evil one at that."

"What happened to him?" I asked out of curiosity.

"There are many theories. Some say he died. I don't think so. I imagine he's still out there. Too tired to carry on. But one thing is certain. Something about the two of you stumped him that night. That's why you are famous. That's why everyone knows your names. You are the twins that lived."

"Gee, that's a happy thing to be famous for." I said.