After lunch, Harry and Charlie escorted me out the back door of the leaky cauldron into an alleyway where Harry took out his wand and tapped the bricks of the back wall. When the wall opened

it revealed the famous site I'd only seen in pictures and newsreels. Diagon Alley is famous throughout the wizarding world, and although I'd traveled with the international aurors for nearly twenty years, I'd never made it to London. I'll admit, I gaped a bit, just like a tourist. Every nation on the planet has it's own version of the alley, but none of them compare to London's, not even Paris.

Our first stop was Gringotts, Harry had been nice enough to set up a small vault for me, but I wanted to get funds transferred from my savings in the States, I'd amassed quite a nest egg for myself while working for the Bureau, I wanted it available to me. It took very little time for us to complete our business at the bank, Gringotts goblins were positively friendly compared to the little buggers I'd dealt with in Boston.

"Well," Harry said as we stood on the steps of Gringotts, I had a nice little stack of galleons, sickles and knuts sitting in my small handbag. "It's about time I head back to the office. Duty calls."

He shook my hand, "it was a true pleasure to meet you Glinda." He smiled impishly "just let me know if Charlie misbehaves, I'll sick my wife on him."

"It was wonderful meeting you," I said to him. "Thanks for all your help."

"So" Charlie said to me "where would you like to go first?"

I thought about it for a second. "I have a few things that I need to pick up, one of them being a set of teacher's robes, another is a wand."

"Madame Malkin's is just two doors down, how about we start there?"

"All right, lead on."

We walked over to the robe shop, as we entered, a plump woman met us at the door. "How may I help you?"

"I need a set of robes suitable for a Hogwarts professor, do you have anything that may be appropriate?"

"I have several designs that may suit you," she said, looking me over. "Would you mind coming into the back so I can take your measurements and fit you?"

"Not at all, I think I'd like some dress robes, as well. To be honest my wardrobe is in sad shape right now." I'd expected to have to replace my wardrobe when I moved to England. I'd only bothered to pack my favorite jeans, several t-shirts, underwear, and my workout gear. I knew that the fashion customs in Britain were very different than what I was used to in America. I was just happy that I would most likely never ever have to put on another muggle business suit.

"Wonderful," Madame said, leading me towards the back of the store. She stopped in front of a curtained doorway. "Please, come with me. I have to ask you to remove all but your undergarments. Then I'll measure you."

I walked behind the curtain and got to feel like a dressmaker's dummy for the next hour.

With packages floating behind us, Charlie and I walked to Ollivander's next. The wand I'd been using was about to crack, I wanted a replacement. "Welcome Mr Weasley, and friend," Ollivander said to us as we entered the shop. "Let me guess, the dragons ignited your wand, again?"

"Actually, Mr. Ollivander," Charlie explained. "I'm not here for a wand. I've been escorting the latest additon to the staff of Hogwarts around. It's her first trip to the Alley."

Mr Ollivander grinned broadley, "ah," he said "it's the American Professor. Welcome to England, my dear." He took my hand and kissed it. "And, what may I do for you?"

I took my wand out of it's pocket in my capris and showed it to him. "I need to replace this," It's about to crack in three places." Ollivander took my wand gently, and studied it carefully.

"Oh yes," he exclaimed, "american oak with a yeti hair core. It's cracking because it is not longer appropriate for you, my dear, I think that I can help you." He kept on talking as he wandered through the shelves of wands, "oak and yeti hair is a combat wand. It's for aggressive magics, and counter-curses. I think," he said, "that you need something different." He grabbed several boxes and gently placed them on the counter in front of me. "This one first," he said. He handed me a wand, and it blew a hole in the ceiling. "Well, that won't do at all, how about this one?" He quickly kicked a rug over the scorch mark it left in the floor. "Maybe this one." He handed me a wand of light gray wood, with stylized fern leaves carved into it. It felt perfect in my hand, "Yes," He said, sounding quite satisfied with the reaction. "That will do nicely, hazel with sphinx hair core, definitely the wand of a teacher."

"I'll take it."

I paid for the new wand and Charlie escorted me out of Ollivander's. "Is there any other place you need to go?" he asked.

"I don't think so," I answered. "Is there any place that you think I shouldn't miss?"

"Actually" there was an impish gleam in his eyes. "What kinds of places do you like to go? Do you have any hobbies? I have my favorite shops, but you may not be interested in the same thing. Do you like animals?"

"I love animals."

"Then I know a place you'll like, it's right up the street." He lead me to The Magical Menagerie. "Hello, Mrs Switch," he said as he waved to the woman behind the counter.

"Well, hello Charlie!" Mrs Switch said, she came out from behind the counter, and kissed Charlie on the cheek. "And, who is this lovely lady?" She asked looking at me.

"Mrs Eugenia Switch," Charlie introduced us. "This is Ms Glinda Goode, she's from America.

She's going to be teaching at Hogwarts."

"Really? how exciting. What are you going to teach my dear? My granddaughter is a fourth year, her names Olivia Switch, in Ravenclaw."

"I'm teaching Defense against the dark arts. I'll have to look out for your granddaughter."

"Wonderful, now don't be letting her get away with any mischief."

"Of course not," I nodded with a smile. The shop itself was crowded with animals of all shapes and varieties. There was a cage in the corner, that had several bandy legged, striped kittens. They reminded me of Maine Coon Cats from home. I couldn't help but stare in amazement at the jewel encrusted turtle, in a huge tank with sand and water, in the middle of the room. In the tank with it, were some snail like creatures with bright orange shells. There was a tank with two huge toads, and another cage full of shiny black rats. In one corner of the room was a basket with puffskeins. "This place is wonderful, I said to both Charlie and Mrs Switch. The animals looked happy and well cared for. They were just waiting for the right people to come along to take them home.

We stayed at the pet shop for quite a while, Mrs Switch allowed us to explore the shop and introduced us to her "charges" as she referred to them. I really enjoyed playing with the little black rats. One in particular, seemed to want to attach itself to me. I felt awful for having to leave it behind. I didn't know if the school would be a good place for a pet. Maybe later, I promised myself, as we left the shop.

"There's one more place you have to see," Charlie said to me, as we strolled down the alley, it's my brothers shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.