The Weirdest Shopping Trip Ever

Caly had to give Hagrid this much as she hurried after him down a street in central London he really didn't care what people thought of him. He seemed oblivious to their stares. Every so often he'd turn around to make sure she was still hurrying along behind him. She had learnt a few things about wizards on this trip. The first was that they had a different currnecy because Hagrid had become very confused when buying their tube tickets. So much so that she had snatched the money off him gave the rather flustered ticked seller the correct amount and not given Hagrid back the rest. The second was that they didn't have the same sort of public transport because Hagrid kept complaining how slow it was and thirdly they didn't have the same technology because Hagrid kept staring perplexidly at the shop window displays of cameras, phones and wide screen T.V.

Her confusion about the kind of lives wizards led was hightened when Hagrid steered her off the main road and into a pub called the leaky cauldron! It was alive with people and the sound of drinkers. There were all sorts of odd people sitting around smoking pipes that emmitted purple smoke and debating loudly about something called Quiditch? A women in her mid-thirties with her blonde hair in pigtails turned from yelling at two small children, who were about 7, to see who'd come in through the door. Her face broke into a wide smile.

"The usual Hagrid?" She asked cheerfully.

"Can't, Hannah, sorry." Hagrid replied gesturing at Caly. The woman leaned forward and eyed Caly.

"Ah, I should have guessed, Hagrid, Hogwarts business."

"Right you are there, Hannah." Hagrid said and he guided Caly through to the yard of the pub.

"Hagrid, what the hell?" Caly began but Hagrid silenced her with a hand and pulled a pink umbrella out of the folds of his coat. Caly eyed it suspiciously.

"Stand back." Hagrid told her and she obediently backed up towards the pub. Hagrid started counting bricks and when he thought he had found the right one he tapped it with the tip of the umbrella. At once the bricks began to move to form an arch. Caly gaped at the gap they formed and the street beyond. She pinched herself once and then remembered she'd already tried that. She blinked just to make sure what she was seeing was real. It was impossibe how could a brick wall lead onto a street. There ought to be another building there. This was impossible but she could see the people and the objects, hear the people talking and owls hotting and smell some strange things. It was real. She turned to Hagrid.

"Alright you've convinced me it's real." Hagrid laughed loudly and strode off down the street, Caly hurrying after him. The wizards and witches seemed completely oblivious to the fact there was a huge man walking in her midst but she noticed a lot of people, especially the children, greeted Hagrid with the same cheerful smiles as Hannah and he often used their first names. Caly was puzzled at first but then remembered Hagrid was a teacher, a likeable one at that.

"Alright first stop for us is Gringgotts Wizarding Bank." Hagrids voice carried easily over the crowds.

"But I don't have any money." Caly said panicking slightly.

"I know I just need to change the rest of the muggle money into our money." So Caly had been right the wizards did have their own currency.

Gringotts Wizarding Bank was a huge building of white marble. Caly had to admit that it was kind of awe inspiring and breath taking. However the building was nothing compared to the people who ran it. They were short, ugly, angry looking things, that looked suspiciously like "Are those what the hell I think they are?" Hagrid looked at her very seriously before lowering his voice and saying

"Yeah they're goblins alright. Never get on the wrong side of them." Caly looked at them nervously.

"I won't."

Caly and Hagrid left Gringgotts less than five minutes later with all but £10 of the money changed into gold galleons, silver sickles and bronze knuts. They immediately headed along the street to start shopping. They got her her cauldron and glass phials from a funny looking man who stuttered every time he addressed Hagrid, her books came from Flurish and Blots which was the largest bookshop she had ever seen. Madame Malkin an elderly witch fitted her Hogwarts robes whilst muttering she was too old for the job. It didn't take long to get everything because Hagrid knew the street called daigon alley like the back of his hand. The last thing left was the wand. Hagrid took her towards ollivanders and told her how Ollivander was far over a hundred but still did his job as if he were 30.

Caly thought Ollivanders shop was the creepiest she had been in by a long way when she entered. There were shelves upon shelves of thin boxes no doubt containing wands. Mr Ollivander soon came wheezing over to her and after establishing which was her wand arm proceeded to take some measurements, that got increasingly pointless. By the time it was measuring a hair on her head Mr Ollivander stopped and stared at her.

"It is the norm to try many wands until you find the right one but I made a wand on impulse not yesterday. It had to be made for today and you are the only person to enter my shop with any kind of aura. Therefore." With a flurish he produced a thin box from the inside of his robes. "The core is all three cores banded together; unicorn tail hair, dragon heartstring and phoenix tail feather. The wood is a combination of rose, yew and holly.12 inches exactly. Supple and springy but sturdy and strong. I have never attempted anything like that in all my life, try."

Caly took the wand and held it feeling stupid. Mr Ollivander face fell and Caly felt bad for letting him down. Caly was the kind of person that liked to please others and felt happy by making them happy. As soon as she felt this happiness sparks began to fly from the wand. Mr Ollivanders face lit up in pure joy and Caly couldn't help laughing. Then wands, in there boxes, flew from the shelves and flew around her in circles. Everything in the shop began to be drawn towards her like she was some giant, freak magnet. As soon as Caly started to panic and stop feeling so joyful the wands fell to the floor and the magnetism stopped. There was a pause and then Hagrid burst into applause. Mr Ollivander nodded, half smiling as he placed the wand back in the box.

"As I thought' this wand is made for you. Even I, who can use every wand in the shop to a certain extent, could not produce a spark from it. The wands balance and length was wrong but on you..." He trailed off looking thoughtful. "Hmmm I must investigate the blending off the cores and woods more carefully. Take good care of that wand. You will never find one to replace it."

They left Ollivanders in silence. Caly was thinking extensively about what Ollivander had told her. Was she destined for this wand? What if it was broken or stolen? Would she then have to live her life as a muggle? What the hell! She thought to herself; the man was a crackpot. The way he was talking it made it sound like the cores and the woods had told him to make the wand. That was impossible! Yep the guy was insane. Besides he was seeing auras. That was enough for her. Whether she believed Ollivanders words or not she had decided one thing. It had been the weirdest shopping trip ever!