Chapter2: Diagon Alley

Merlin left the orphanage, saying a quick word to Mrs Claxton as he part telling her were he was going, well part of it anyway. He then walked to the station, which was only about 10 minuets from the orphanage and caught a tube to the centre or London, following the professor's instructions he found himself on a busy road lined by shops. With all the noise and bustle he wasn't even noticed as he slipped into an old deliberated pub 'the leaky cauldron' which all the people walking past seemed not to have noticed. As he endured no one looked up from their drinks, only tom the old landlords son followed the small boy as he made his way across the room between the tables to the yard at the back. Tom almost expected him to be back in a few minuets as you need a wand to permit the hidden street of Diagon Ally and this boy looked like he was hear for the first time. But to his surprise Merlin did not return for despite not having a wand the archway had reviled itself with just a touch from his hand.

Merlin stared. He was standing in a narrow cobbled street lined with shops on both sided. These shops were however nothing ordinary, there were shops selling cauldrons, owls, from tiny screech howls down to magnificent barn-owls, rustling there feathers and looking down hortely at Merlin through the glance from 'Ilops owl emporium' then there were shops celling robes, quills, parchment, ice cream in the most extraordinary flavours and then under a huge sign proclaiming it as 'flourish and blots' was a huge book shop with its window full of all sorts of books, from huge books the size of paving slabs bound in hard leather to tiny books the size of postage stamps bound in silk too a cage of nasty viscous looking books in a cage all trying to rip each other up. The sign underneath said 'the monster book of monsters' and when merlin drew closer he saw that each book seemed to have a viscous set of teeth along the opening side.

Merlin took his eyes off the fascinating sight were an assistant was just trying to get a book out and appeared to have been bitten. he looked around trying to find were to get the first thing on his list: robes.

Then he saw what he was looking for, a small shop with a display of difference robes and the name "Madam Malkins' robes for all occasions" written across the door seemed the right place. merlin entered the shop, a bell rang and a small plump witch came hurrying over immediately saying "Hogwarts dear?" merlin nodded and she smiled at him.

"Right if you just come through hear and standing on this stood we'll have you filled in on time," she said.

Merlin did as he was told and for a few minuets there was silence as the women fitted his new robes. then she Brock the silence with:

"And that's you done, what dress robes would your like?" Merlin looked around, he had no idea but only a few minuets latter he was leaving the shop holding a bag with his new robes and his dress robes which, he was glad were just like the school robes only a dark blue instead of black.

Next he set off to the apothecary were he asked for "first year potion ingredients" and then when to find a cauldron and some scales. after that he went to the book shop were he got sidetracked looking at all the fantastic books on sail. but he had barely any money left and still needed a wand.

The wand shop was somewhat disappointing with only one wand on a faded silver cushion in the window and a sign in fading silver letters saying 'Olivanders' when Merlin entered a bell rang somewhere at the back of the shop. as he waited, he looked around at the piles and piles of small long boxes piled high to the ceiling. then a man came from the back of the shop. he was small and thin with a small beard but otherwise completely bold.

"Hello Mr Olivander," Merlin said sounding slightly nervous.

"I am not Mr Olivander, I am his ancestor," the man said in a slightly misty voice. "Now," he said sounding slightly more brisk "lets find you a wand," he picked up a tape measure which began at once to measure Merlin all by itself wile the man pulled down boxes.

"That will do," he said at last handing Merlin a wand. "Holly and dragon heartstring 12 inches rather whippy excellent for charm work, go one give it a wave."

Merlin took the wand and gave a sort of feeble wave, but at once it was snatched from him and another one pressed into his hand. Merlin tried, and tried but with each wand nothing happened.

Finally one came, "Oak and phoenix feather 11 inches, very powerful," the man said pushing yet another wand into Merlin's hand. This time however it was different. Merlin felt a warmth the moment the wand touched his skin. He brought it up and brought it down in a spiralling motion. Golden stars erupted from the end of the wand forming a spiral in mid air. And then, in the very centre of that spiral something appeared, it was a stick, nothing more. It would have reached near Merlin's shoulder had he been stood next to it. But the moment the staff; for that was what it was; was fully formed merlin picked it up. And the moment he did so it shrank to about half the length of his wand. Without looking at the man, who was staring at him in astonishment merlin paid for the wand and left.

Out in the street Merlin felt in his pocket. Trying to find the staff. He remembered the man's stares and wondered why. Wasn't that normal? He supposed he should have said something. But what? He had no idea how he'd known what the stick was and nor did he know why he picked it up. It had just been... well an instinct.

He rummaged deeper into the pocket of the old blue fleece he wore. The staff had vanished and all he found was the wand and some old washed paper which fell into powder as he touched it.

Somehow knowing that the staff was not gone, and that it would reappear when he needed it he made his way to the arch at the end of Diagon Alley.

On the tube going back to the orphanage Merlin had decided exactly what he to tell Mrs Claxton. But as it turned out she already knew. Plainly professor Longbottom had told her but unfortunately the 1st September was the same day as Green Wood started and she needed to take the rest of the children to water loo to catch the their train. Merlin would as he was told that night need to make his own way to kings cross station. McCauley still seemed to think it was highly amusing to chase Merlin through the orphanage, but was still unable to catch him. Merlin also tried to keep to his room were he read his school books and counted down the days till September 1st when he would be going off to Hogwarts.