Chapter 4 – Diagon Alley
The next day Harry woke up feeling very excited. Today was the day the witch, probably this Professor McGonagall, was going to come and meet him. He jumped out of his bed, quickly washed up and changed. He wore a dark blue denim jean and an old gray t-shirt, one of the few clothes that actually fitted him trying to look decent and respectable. He tried to comb his hair but it was of no use, it never stayed flat and always stuck up at weird angles. It also never grew longer considering he hadn't had a haircut for nearly 6 years, the last time being at the insistence of his Aunt who gave up when every strand of hair she cut grew back almost instantly.
He then went downstairs to wait for his guest to arrive and cook himself some breakfast. On his way to the kitchen he glanced at the big clock in the living room and realized it was just 5.30 in the morning. He chuckled quietly not wanting to wake the Dursley's up. Thirty minutes later he made himself a plate of boiled eggs, toast and bacon and went out to the garden to enjoy the sun rise and have a nice peaceful breakfast while being surrounded by identical houses, lawns and fences.
He lay on the grass after finishing his breakfast and putting his plate away, wondering where would he have to go to buy all the items he required. After all, all those times he had gone shopping with his Aunt Petunia he had never seen any shop in London which could even remotely have the all the things he needed to buy.
He remembered the one time a man with a pointed hat had suddenly come out of nowhere and given him a hug and hurried out of the shop they were in. But when Harry looked around for him, he was gone. He had vanished into the thin air. "He must have been a wizard too," he said to himself. "I wonder why he hugged me. That was really creepy."
Then there was this other time when an old ugly woman with a hunch had waved at him merrily, but before he could go and talk to her, his aunt had quickly hurried him out of the shop and into a waiting taxi. "She must have been a witch too," he thought to himself and wondered if all witches were that ugly.
He sighed and looked up into the orange blue sky trying to count the number of clouds in the sky. "I wonder where the school will be?" he said out loud again. "I wonder…," he began but shut his mouth realizing that he could keep wondering but wouldn't get any answers until the Professor showed up.
Then a scary thought rose in his head, what if the Professor didn't show up. What if this was a well thought out prank by the Dursley's, what if it was all a lie! Many absurd thoughts began to run through his head when suddenly let out a frustrated yell.
"BOY, what the hell are you yelling for?!" came the gruff voice of his uncle. Harry winced, cursing his stupidity and realized that the Dursley's hated magic and didn't have the brains to pull off such a well thought out prank. Slowly reassuring himself that this was indeed real and no joke, he made his way back to the house to wait for the Professor to show up.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
It was 9.00 AM already and Harry was getting quite worried as there were still no signs of anybody looking vaguely like a witch or a wizard as he poked his head out of the window the 10th time.
He had seen Mrs. Figg, who stayed next door, come out and feed her cats which stayed in her backyard. He had seen the postman deliver letters to various different houses on his rickety old bicycle. He had seen the milkman come and collect all the empty bottles and deliver new ones. But he had still not seen anybody come towards number 4 Privet Drive.
Walking back inside, he saw his Uncle and Aunt sitting in the living room looking quite nervous and dressed in their best clothes. Harry had to suppress a snort. Trust the Dursley's to try and show off to any human which turns up at their door step.
Then it happened. The door bell rang. He ran to the door, fumbled with the locks and quickly opened it. Outside stood the strictest looking woman he had ever seen. She had her black hair tied into a tight bun without a single strand of hair out of place. She had square spectacles that framed a face which had a lot of wrinkles and she had the thinnest lips he had ever seen.
He stood there gaping at her not moving an inch. She cleared her throat and Harry snapped out of his trance like state. "Oh sorry... hmm... you are?" he asked her. The lady lips twitched in amusement and said, "I'm Professor McGonagall and you must be Harry James Potter."
"Oh yeah, yeah I am him, I mean I'm Harry Potter and you're the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts. Are you here to take me shopping? Where will we be going? Are the shops in London or elsewhere? Oh wait, wait I'm forgetting my manners, please come in Professor, do you want something to drink?" Harry said all this in one breath unable to contain the excitement building inside him. A part of him was rolling in laughter at his behaviour but Harry was too excited to care.
The Professor just stared at him after his short speech, but before she could say anything she was pulled into the house by Harry and lead to the living room where the Dursley's were seated.
"Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon," Harry said formally. "This is Professor McGonagall; she's the deputy head of Hogwarts."
"Hello Petunia, it's been a long time since I last saw you," said the Professor looking at his Aunt. Petunia just nodded her head unable to say anything.
"Do you want something to drink Professor?" Harry asked her again.
"Yes please, water will do just fine."
Harry practically ran to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. When he came back she was sitting comfortably on one of the sofas and both Dursley's were standing as far as possible from her. He quietly gave her the glass and watched her drink it.
"So when are we leaving? Will we go right now? How are we going to go? Where is the school? How big is it?" but he stopped when she raised her hand signalling him to stop. He watched her eagerly waiting for her to give him the answers that had been bugging him since morning.
She smiled at him and said, "I know you must have a lot of questions." Harry just stared at her and waited for her to answer them. "Well don't worry; I've meet a lot many children who are just as eager as you are."
"I don't want to know about them, I want to know about the school."
McGonagall looked amused. "Patience is an important virtue Mr Potter, and to your previous questions we will first go to a Mr. Austin's house as I have to pick up another child and then we will go and buy your items. As for the school, it's in Scotland and as for its size…. Well you will have to see for yourself."
"Now are you ready to leave?" she asked him. Harry just nodded, his head still processing all she had just said.
"Mrs. Dursley, Mr. Dursley," she addressed his Aunt and Uncle, "I will return with your ward sometime in the evening. You will have to take him to King's Cross on September 1st for him to catch his train to Hogwarts. If he doesn't show up a teacher will he sent over to inquire as to why he missed his train. There will be a short Christmas vacation in which he can come back and visit you... or not. The year will end in May and he will have to return home for the summer break. If he breaks any school rules a letter will be sent to inform you about it and at the end of each term we will send you his progress report."
"Can't he stay at that school during the summer also?" Uncle Vernon questioned with a little hope in his voice.
"No Mr. Dursley he cannot," she said narrowing her eyes, "It is against the rules of the school. Now have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, yes you have, now take the boy and get the hell out of my house," Uncle Vernon sneered while Aunt Petunia just looked on.
Professor McGonagall looked at them both in disgust before turning around and called Harry to her. "Come on child, we have a lot of work to do."
"I'm not a child," Harry said annoyed.
"Yes, yes sure you're not," she said absently. "Now come on lets go."
She led him to a secluded corner at the end of the street. She removed a stick from within her clothes and stuck her hand out.
"What's that stick in your hand, Professor?" Harry asked her.
"This Harry is a wand which helps you do magic, you will be getting one too when we get to Diagon Alley."
"Diagon Alley? Is that where we will get the stuff we need to buy?"
"Yes Harry, now keep quiet for a while," she told him now getting irritated by the number of questions he kept asking her.
Suddenly there was a loud bang and a huge purple triple-decker bus with The Knight Bus written in large golden letters on its sides came out of nowhere and stopped right next to them.
"WOW!" that's all that came out of Harry's mouth.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick your wand hand and step aboard, we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this lovely morning."
"Yes thank you very much Stan, now take us to Number 10, Gordon Street please," said the Professor stepping aboard and making her way to one of the seats pulling Harry along with her who was too stunned to move or talk.
"That will be 7 sickles Professor," said the conductor. Professor McGonagall dig her hand into her pocket and Harry watched in alarm as her entire hand sunk into her pocket! She then fished out some silver coins and handed them over to Stan.
"Was that money?" asked Harry looking on in interest, finally finding his voice.
"Yes, all will be explained to you once we get the other girl. I don't want to explain to her once again."
Harry wondered what a young Witch would look like. Would she be scary faced like the two witches he had come across so far or would she be just as normal as any other girl around.
Suddenly the bus shot forward with a bang causing Harry to fall back into his seat. After about 20 seconds it stopped with another bang causing him to fall ahead and hit his face hard on the glass in front of him just as he managed to get back to his chair. "Your stop Mrs. Adams," Stan said to a lady at the back of the bus. She quickly got off the bus and emptied her stomach on the sidewalk.
Just before the bus started again, he quickly got back to his seat and held on to the sides as if his life were at stake.
McGonagall looked at him quite amused at his antics and just sat there quietly waiting for their stop to arrive. She looked at him again thinking about the amount of questions he kept asking her before they got on the bus. She could practically imagine him asking dozens of questions at Hogwarts during the classes. She smiled when she imagined the look on Severus's face if anybody dared to ask him any question.
"What's so funny Professor?" Harry asked her.
"Harry, why don't you keep quiet until we get there, you look quite green at the moment." She was quite tired by his constant questioning and couldn't believe that he could still ask questions when he looked like he was about to throw up any second.
About 5 minutes later the bus stopped with a jerk next to a street in a small alley which looked sadly just like Privet Drive, except it was a little more decrepit.
Harry fell out of his seat and quickly ran outside the bus clearly not wanting to stay inside for another minute.
The bus then vanished with another bang and he looked at the Professor, "I hope we do not have to use that bus again," he said sourly.
McGonagall just gave him a stern look which clearly said mind your tone young man and walked out of the alley towards the house with a number 10 on its front door.
Harry quickly followed her as she made her way to the front door.
DING DONG.
A shriek sounded from inside and the door opened to reveal a tall man with blonde hair.
"Are you Mr. Austin?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"That's correct," he said, a cigarette hanging from his lips.
"I'm Professor McGonagall and I am here for a Ms. Lillian Mary Austin," she said, narrowing her eyes at the smoke rising from the tip of the cigarette.
"Oh, come in, you must be the teacher from that magic school. And who's the young man behind you?"
"This is Harry Potter and he's going to accompany me along with your daughter to do their shopping," she said.
"Alright then, hey Lillian!" he yelled, "The teacher from that magic school is here!"
"Coming, coming dad!" came the voice of a girl from the top of the stairs and she came bounding down to meet them. She was about Harry's height, had light freckles across her narrow nose, and straw like black hair falling halfway down her back. Her hair had reddish streaks in certain places which seemed artificially applied. Her eyes were electric blue and she was wearing cream coloured khaki pants with a tucked in half sleeved black and yellow caption less T-shirt.
Her clothes seemed a little loose around her slim frame and Harry observed her with interest.
"Hi," she said smartly to the Professor before sticking out her hand, "You must be Professor McGonagall, pleasure to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Miss Austin, you certainly have better manners than this young man beside me," she said glancing towards Harry while shaking the girls hand.
"My manners are great I'll have you know!" said Harry petulantly. Inside he was cursing himself for acting like an idiot. But then it didn't matter today. Today was different. He could act like the biggest moron on the planet and he wouldn't even care.
McGonagall just chuckled and turned to Mr. Austin and said, "Well sir, I'll be taking these two with me. We better leave now or we won't be getting back before nightfall. I'm sure you read all the rules and instructions on the parchment inside the school letter."
"Yes I have ma'am," replied Mr. Austin, taking a deep drag of his cigarette and carelessly dropping the ashes on the floor. "Well doll, I'll see you later, have fun and don't trouble the Professor."
"Yes dad," she said, rolling her eyes at him, "Bye then, see you in the evening."
That done all three of them walked out of the house and moved towards the alley were the knight bus had stopped.
"How come you didn't explain everything to him like you did to my Aunt and Uncle?" Harry asked her.
"Because your Aunt and Uncle are lousy and disgusting people and I don't like them," was the curt response.
"Oh, right, I don't like them too," he said.
Professor McGonagall put her hand into her robes and removed her wand and a small cup. "We aren't going by that damn purple bus again are we?" Harry groaned.
"No, we're taking a portkey and mind your language Mr. Potter," she said.
"What's a portkey and what bus?" Lillian asked before Harry could ask. He looked at her startled clearly forgetting that they had another companion now.
"Yeah, what's a portkey?" Harry also asked the stern Professor forgetting about the bus.
McGonagall just sighed loudly before muttering, "I'm getting too old for this, should get Severus or Hagrid to do this job now."
"Alright the both of you, I am getting quite tired of all these questions and I will explain everything once we get to Diagon alley. Now both of you touch this cup and don't say a word," she said before holding out the cup to them.
Both Harry and Lillian touched the cup and waited for something to happen. McGonagall then tapped the cup with her cup and counted till three. On three Harry felt a sharp tug below his navel and his world dissolved into a multicoloured swirling vortex.
After a few seconds of being tossed and turned around both Harry and Lillian fell on top of each other completely disoriented while McGonagall landed on her feet. They were outside a dirty looking pub with a sign board which had the words 'The Leaky Cauldron' written on it.
Lillian was still on top of Harry trying to clear her head when she heard Harry say, "Err Austin, or whatever your name is, I know I'm good looking and all and you like the position we're in, but I'd really appreciate it if you got off me."
"Oh," she yelped and quickly scrambled to her feet and glared at Harry, her face heating up with embarrassment.
Harry just smirked at her and got to his feet. "Hey Professor, where are we?" he asked Professor McGonagall.
McGonagall frowned at him and said, "Mr. Potter, you should really learn to control that tongue of yours. This place is the Leaky cauldron and it's a wizarding pub and is invisible to muggles."
"What are muggles?" asked both children together.
McGonagall took a deep breath and calmed herself before she lost her temper. She looked at them both and said, "I know you have a lot of questions to ask…"
"You think!" Harry exclaimed; only to be at the receiving end of Professor McGonagall's glare, "That's one nasty glare," he muttered.
"As I was saying," she said still glaring at Harry, "before I was interrupted by Mr. Potter here, I will explain everything to you once we get inside. Mr. Potter, I suggest you keep your mouth shut for the next 20 minutes or I will turn you into a toad for the rest of your life."
Harry was about to retort but thought wisely against it.
"That's better," McGonagall muttered.
Lillian started sniggering when she heard the Professor's comment. "What are you laughing about Freckles," Harry snapped, feeling a little put down.
"What did you call me?!" she asked narrowing her eyes severely.
"Nothing, nothing Austin, was just commenting about those horrendous dots on your face," Harry said airily waving his hands in the air.
"Why you little piece of shit, I'm going to strangle your damn neck," she said angrily, raising her hands. Apparently her freckles were a sore topic and one her friends back home teased her mercilessly about.
"Temper, temper Freckles! We don't want the good Professor to turn us into toads now do we?" he said pompously and was about to give another comment when Professor McGonagall's sharp voice cut through.
"That's enough, the both of you. Now get in there and don't talk unless I tell you to," she said loosing hold of her temper.
Lillian glared Harry and he just smiled before quietly walking into the grubby pub.
As soon as they walked in almost everybody in the pub turned towards them and slowly the whole pub fell silent. Harry could feel all the eyes in the room lock onto his scar and the feeling was quite forbidding.
"Merlin's beard! It's Harry Potter!" exclaimed a woman sitting closest to where the three were standing. Everybody started muttering and people started walking towards them and started hugging and shaking Harry's hands. "So proud Mr. Potter, so proud," one said. "Such an honour!" said another shaking his head; another was crying and shaking his hand vigorously while another was hugging him tightly from behind.
For his part Harry was completely baffled at everybody's reaction to him and didn't know how to react. But he was saved when Professor McGonagall called out, "Ok that's enough, all of you, I'm sure Mr. Potter would love to talk to you all but we don't have much time." She looked around for the bartender and asked him for a private room. "Right away Professor McGonagall, anything for the boy who lived," said Tom the bartender and led them to a room at the other end of the bar.
When Tom went away Harry looked at Professor McGonagall and said loudly, "What the bloody hell was all that about!"
"Language Mr. Potter and what are you talking about?" said the Professor.
"What do mean what am I talking about? I mean all that back there! The hugging, the crying and all the congratulations! What was all that and why only me and why not her! I mean she's also new right?" he asked her still shocked.
"You mean you don't know?!" she said looking at him with wide eyes.
"Know what?"
"They didn't tell you!"
"Tell me what! Look you aren't making any sense to me, so will you please explain to me what's going on," Harry shouted.
"You don't know how you got that scar do you?" she finally asked him understanding what was going on now.
"What do mean how I got the scar? I got it in the car crash when my parents died."
"WHAT!" she cried out.
"You mean that's not how I got it?"
"No," she spluttered, "I-I mean how? You don't know about your parents!"
"What are you talking about lady?" he snarled losing his temper.
Lillian meanwhile was just watching the both of them wondering what this was all about.
McGonagall finally pulled herself together and went back to her strict Professor stance. She gestured towards the chairs and told them both to sit down, muttering about stupid muggles and idiotic headmasters.
She took a deep breath and then began, "Many years ago there was a very evil wizard who wanted to take control of the wizarding world, he began to kill anybody who stood in his way and gathered a lot of fanatical followers."
She took another deep breath and continued, "Anyway he wanted to get rid of all people who did not have a wizarding family..., people like you Miss Austin," she said nodding towards her. "Those were very dark times. Nobody was safe and people were dying everywhere."
"One night he came to your house Harry, he killed both your mother and father and then came to kill you. But he couldn't, he tried to kill you but could not. Somehow his powers broke and he vanished. Some people say he's dead and some say he's too weak and powerless but still alive. Nobody knows what happened that night and that how you got that scar. That's why everybody wants to meet you and shake your hand. That's why you're famous in the wizarding world Harry."
After hearing this something painful was going on inside his head. He remembered the green light, he remembered the woman's screams and then he remembered the words the snake like man with red eyes had said. "Avada Kedavra," he whispered.
"What was that Potter," said the Professor her eyes widening.
"Avada Kedavra, that's what he said before turning his wand on me. Just after he killed my… my mother," he said realizing with a start, that the screaming woman with red hair was his mother.
There was complete silence for a while before it was broken by Lillian. "Professor what was his name? The man who killed Harry's parents?" she asked timidly.
"We don't say his name, but if what to know it was Voldemort," she said with a shudder.
"Voldemort?" asked Harry, "That's his name?"
"Yes, but everybody calls him You Know Who or He Who Must Not Be Named," said Professor McGonagall.
"What were my parents names Professor?" Harry asked.
"You don't know!" McGonagall asked him her eyes going wide in disbelief.
"They never told me anything," he said bitterly, "To them I was a freak of nature and deserved to be fed to the dogs."
"Horrible those muggles, worst of their kind," she said looking at him sadly.
"Muggles?" questioned Lillian, "What are they?"
"Non magical people like your father and others who can't do magic," said McGonagall.
"Tell me about them Professor, my parents," Harry asked her. McGonagall let out a small laugh and said, "Well your father, James Potter was quite the charmer. He had a huge fan club of girls but he had his eyes fixed only on your mother, Lily Evans. He was always playing pranks on everybody while your mother on the other hand was a spirited but studious girl. God only knows how they ended up together, but I know that they were very much deeply in love with each other. You look exactly like your father but have your mother's eyes," she said.
"Lily and James," Harry said softly, committing the names to memory.
"Yes, yes it does," McGonagall replied sadly.
She checked the time on her pocket watch and said, "Well we better get going, we have a lot of shopping to do."
She got up and they all went out nodding to Tom on the way and made their way to the door that had the words Diagon Alley printed on it. They all moved through the door only to come up against a wall.
"Err... Professor? Is this supposed to be Diagon Alley?" Harry asked her quite confused while Lillian looked around looking confused herself.
"No Mr. Potter, will you give me a minute?" she snapped back, but was pleased he was getting back to normal after the conversation they just had.
She pulled out her wand and tapped on a different colour brick three times. The brick she touched quivered – it wriggled and a small hole appeared which grew wider and wider until there was a large archway, big enough to fit all three of them together.
Both Harry and Lillian stood there with their mouths open, unable to believe what had just happened. "Welcome to Diagon Alley," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile playing at her lips, "Come on, go in now," she said gently.
"Wow," Lillian said, still stunned and was looking around the busy street and the many different shops everywhere. Harry just shook his head in agreement staring at the different sign boards.
There were owl shops, cauldron shops, and a shop selling brooms, a moving cart advertising the entrails of a squid, magical charms displayed on the pavement which promised riches beyond measure, the craziness was endless. He heard a woman say "Dragon liver, seventeen sickles an ounce, they're mad…" as they passed the apothecary which had a weird smell to it.
They passed by people dressed only in robes and pointed hats. A few were dressed in clothes that could be called normal but everyone was in a hurry. The streets were busy with trade and more than once they stopped to stare at witches bargaining for dragon hide and acromantula silk with roadside vendors. McGonagall had to nudge the awestruck children every five steps they took.
Soon they reached their destination; a snowy white dome shaped building towering over the others. It had huge bronze doors and dressed in scarlet and gold were the weirdest creatures Harry had seen in his entire life.
"What on Earth are those things Professor?" Lillian gasped, voicing Harry's question as well.
"That, Ms. Austin, is a goblin and the building is called Gringotts; the only wizarding bank in the world," the Professor replied.
The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
The message was very clear, don't even think about robbing the bank or you will pay dearly. A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Professor McGonagall, Lillian and Harry made for one of the empty counters.
"Good morning," McGonagall said to the goblin. "We've come to take some money out of Mr. Potter's safe and exchange some Muggle notes for galleons."
"Please show the key and hand over the Muggle currency, madam," said the goblin.
McGonagall removed a gold key from her pocket and gave it to the goblin along with a thick wad of Muggle notes she had gotten from Mr. Austin earlier.
The goblin took the notes, counted them carefully before removing a sack of coins and giving it to the Professor. "That's 200 Galleons and 15 Knuts," he said. He then looked at Harry's key carefully before and said, "Very well all seems to be in order," handing back the key to Professor McGonagall, "I'll have someone take you down to the vaults. GRIPHOOK!" he shouted.
Griphook was yet another goblin who led the all to door and held it open for them. They were in a narrow passageway dimly lit with torches and had railway tracks running on the ground. Griphook whistled and a cart came rattling towards them. They climbed in and shot off at a tremendous speed.
Left, right, left, up down, left, left, there were so many twists and turns that it was impossible to remember. At one point Harry thought he saw something like a dragon but he felt he might have imagined it. He then realized that the cart seemed to know where it was going because Griphook wasn't steering.
Suddenly the cart came to a stop next to a door in the wall. "That was awesome!" Lillian cried, "Let's do it again!"
"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it because I certainly didn't," Professor McGonagall said in a shaky voice.
The goblin took the key from the Professor and put it into the door. Suddenly a lot of clicking sounds came and the door opened with a lot of green smoke billowing out of it. Inside were heaps of gold coins, mountains of silver and columns of little bronze ones.
They had to spend a moment to admire the sight of the gleaming gold. "This is all mine?" Harry gasped.
"All yours," McGonagall said smiling.
"Now listen carefully the both of you, the gold ones are Galleons, the silver ones are Sickles and 17 sickles make a Galleon and the little bronze ones are Knuts, 29 Knuts make a Sickle," said McGonagall.
"You sure are rich Potter," said Lillian in awe.
"Yeah, yeah I am," answered Harry happily. Lillian just rolled her eyes waiting for him to take his money so they could move on.
Another wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts.
"Now that you both have got your money, remember to use it wisely and don't send it on things you do not require. Miss. Austin, 200 galleons is a lot of money and it will easily last you at least 4 to 5 years at Hogwarts. You will have to leave the entire remaining amount at home after today's shopping but you may keep 30-50 Galleons with you when you come to Hogwarts for emergencies. The rest is to be left with your father."
"Well come on lets go any buy you yours wands first and then get your uniforms. Meanwhile I'll go buy your cauldron, potions ingredients, books and telescope. Come on now," Professor McGonagall said, pushing them towards the wand shop recognizing the glint in their eyes since they now had their money bags and realizing whatever she had just said about being careful with your money had flown right over their heads. She took some galleons from each of them and pointed them in the direction of the wand shop. "You both better behave yourselves, I don't want to come back and find the shop in ruins," she said giving them a stern look before making her way to the book shop Flourish and Blotts.
The shop was small and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 328 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
A tinkling bell sounded deep within the shop as they entered it. It was like an old library with boxes everywhere. The shop had a strange mysterious feel about it.
"Good afternoon Mr. Potter, I was wondering when I would be seeing you and a good afternoon to you too Ms. Austin." They both jumped and looked around only to find themselves staring at a pair of mysterious silvery eyes. "Well I suppose you might be here for your wands."
"Actually no, we're here to buy broomsticks," Lillian said sarcastically. Ollivander just chuckled and said, "Ah, the youth of today, they have funniest sense of humour."
"Well let's start with you young man, which is your wand hand?" he asked Harry. "Erm... I'm right handed, sir," Harry said. Ollivander then pulled out a box and said, "Birchwood and dragon heart strings, try it."
Harry held it in his hand but found it gone immediately as Ollivander muttered "No, no, no, here try this, Yew and Unicorn hair, quite an unusual combination," Harry took it and found it out of his hands again.
This continued for at least another 20 minutes when Ollivander looked up happily and said, "Tricky customer eh, not to worry we'll find the right wand for you...," he stopped suddenly and said , " I wonder, I wonder" He went to a corner bent down and pulled out another box. "Try this Mr. Potter, Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." Harry took the wand and felt a slight tingling sensation at the back of his hand which stopped after a while.
"No, this is not it either," Ollivander said looking quite disappointed. "Well we shall get back to you later Mr. Potter, I have to ask you some questions, but first let's find a wand for Ms. Austin."
Harry was quite disappointed that he has not yet got a wand and was worried about what would happen if he couldn't get wand for himself.
Meanwhile Lillian was busy trying various wands. Half an hour later Ollivander straightened up looking positively gleeful, "Well two difficult customers in one day, what could be better!" His eyes then fell on the holly and phoenix feather wand which lying next to Harry. He looked at it long and hard for a few seconds then looked back at Lillian and asked her to try it. She took the wand and waved it, immediately she felt warmth spread within her and fire came gushing out of her wand setting Harry's sleeve on fire.
"Ah…!" Harry yelled, panicking. "Put it out, put it out!" Ollivander quickly pulled his wand out and waved it towards Harry making a thin column of water to stream out and put out the fire from his clothes, leaving him uninjured.
Harry glared daggers at Lillian and yelled, "You did that on purpose! What were you trying to do! Kill me?"
Lillian just giggled and said, "I didn't do it on purpose, I just felt so warm and nice, it was like a fire burning inside me."
Harry just huffed and muttered, "Yeah right." She rolled her eyes and started admiring her new wand.
Ollivander clapped his hands happily and said, "How curious, how very curious."
"What's so curious sir," Lillian asked him. Ollivander stared at her with his mysterious silvery eyes causing her to gulp audibly, he then said softly, "I remember every wand I've sold Ms. Austin, every single one. It so happens that the phoenix which gave that feather in your core, gave another one, exactly the same in all properties and proportions. What is so curious is that you should be destined for that wand when its brother gave young Mr. Potter his scar."
It took them a whole minute to understand the meaning behind the wand maker's words.
"You mean Voldemort has the other wand? The brother of this wand?!" Lillian stuttered, while Harry just gaped at her.
"Do not speak his name! But yes he who must not be named did have the other wand, Yew and Phoenix feather, thirteen and a half inches; a very, very powerful wand and dangerous in the wrong hands. After all You Know Who did terrible... but great things, so I think it would safe to expect great and wonderful things from you too Ms. Austin."
"And now back to you Mr. Potter, Well do you both know what it means to have a wand?"
Both shook their heads indicating that they had no clue.
"A wand is a magical object which has the ability to reach out to your magical core and forcibly pull it out allowing you to perform magic. Every living being has a core, even muggles, else we cannot exist. You could also call that core a part of your soul. But compared to muggles we have a magical core which is at least a 100 times bigger than what would be the size of a muggles magical core." He looked at them hard and then asked Harry a question, "Mr. Potter, have you ever tried to reach out to your magical core?"
"What do you mean?" Harry replied, unsure of what to say.
"What I mean is have you ever tried to see and feel the magic inside you and knowingly perform magic without a wand?" he asked Harry.
"Yeah, I have when I was six years old, though it took me about two years to use it properly, I can lock and unlock, summon things to me and levitate stuff, like, well watch this." He raised his hands towards Lillian and lifted her about 3 feet into the air and then dropped her on her bum.
She gave a strangled yell when she fell back on the floor; she immediately got up and yelled at Harry, "What was that for you jerk? That's it you're going to get it from me." She started walking towards Harry but didn't find herself anywhere near him. Confused she looked down to find herself, again, a foot above the ground. "Put me down you… you... you moron!" she screamed at him again.
Harry just sniggered and put her down gently. She glared at him before turning away from him huffing in anger.
"Truly marvellous," Ollivander said clapping loudly. "Absolutely stunning and not to mention at the age of six! Mr. Potter do you know what you have just done?"
"Err… I did magic?"
"You have just done something that no other wizard or witch has ever been able to do, even though many have tried in the past. You successfully managed to call out your magical core and use it at will, which is considered impossible in the wizarding world, you being the lone exception." Ollivander said looking at Harry in awe.
"Oh, I didn't know it was such a big deal!" Harry said with wide eyes.
"You are an extremely powerful wizard Mr. Potter. No wand I have made will suit you since they are all designed to forcibly draw out the magical core, not co-exist with the will of the wizard. But still I think I have the right wand for you." Ollivander went to the back of his shop still muttering about magical cores and powerful wizards.
Lillian looked at Harry with grudging respect and said, "You really know how to do things with a bang don't you?"
Harry just looked at her, gave an arrogant smirk and said, "That's who I am Freckles, that's who I am."
Whatever respect she had just gained for him was all crushed in that very instant. "Stop calling me that stupid name, you stupid git," she said in annoyance. "I don't like it."
Harry just laughed and looked back at Ollivander who had just come in with a beautifully carved wooden box. He carefully laid it on the table and opened it.
Inside was the most beautiful wand he had ever seen. It was jet black and in white, it had some strange markings etched into it. It had a slight hook at one end for the person to hold the wand. He looked at Ollivander looking for permission to pick it up.
Harry removed it from the box and firmly grasped it in his wand hand. For a moment nothing happened. And then he felt what he had felt all those years ago, only this time it was so much stronger and the power he felt was intoxicating. He felt like he was in heaven. The icy feeling rushed through him again sending waves of pleasure through him. He closed his eyes and connected with his magic himself and felt more power rushing through his veins giving him a sense of complete invincibility. Slowly the feeling died down but he could still feel the hum of the wand in his hand. It was like a missing piece of his soul had just been returned to him.
He slowly opened his eyes and was stunned by the sight that greeted him. Ollivander and Lillian were crouching behind the table and the whole shop was filled with ice shavings. There was ice coming out of the floor, sticking out of the roof and there was even some snow lying around.
Ollivander and Lillian slowly came out from under the table looking at Harry with disbelief. Ollivander then spoke up, "Perhaps you would like to know what is so special about your wand and what makes you a very special wizard."
Harry nodded his head and gestured Ollivander to continue. "Very well, your wand goes by many names, it is a legend among all wand makers and was last held by Albus Dumbledore, defeater of the dark wizard Grindelwald who had the wand before Dumbledore beat him and took it from him. It is known as the Death stick or the Elder wand or the Wand of Destiny. It has a very dark history and nobody knows how old it actually is."
He looked at both Harry and Lillian, realizing he had their full attention he continued, "It is said to have been a gift by death himself to a wizard he deemed worthy of being its host. Both wizard and wand were happy to be in each other's hands until the wizard was brutally murdered and had his wand stolen from him. For years people have looked for this wand and the ones that found it have always been killed or have had the wand stolen. Ever since that night when it's original owner was killed, the wand has never fully accepted anybody as its rightful owner, anybody at all that is until you came along. This wand has fully given you its allegiance and this is proof of it," he said gesturing around the shop, "Use it wisely young wizard," Ollivander said looking proudly at Harry.
Harry looked at his wand in awe which was still humming powerfully in his hand.
"How much for the wands, Sir?" he asked Ollivander.
Ollivander just chuckled and said, "That will be seven galleons each."
Both kids just nodded their heads thinking about how eventful their day had been and quietly handed over the money to the old wand maker.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Austin. I would advise you both to keep the story behind Mr. Potter's wand a secret or else people will start wanting the wand for themselves. And Mr. Potter, don't ever show your skill with wandless magic to anybody unless absolutely necessary," he said seriously before bidding them goodbye.
Both nodded their heads and walked out of the store, Harry still wet and Lillian with ice and snow in her hair.
Back in the wand makers shop, Ollivander said to himself, "What an eventful day, First a Fire elemental, who haven't been seen for almost a millennia gains the allegiance of a powerful phoenix core wand and then another elemental, one who has never existed before, one with the power to manipulate water in many forms shows up and gains the allegiance of the wand of destiny! I wonder when they will realize what they are." He chuckled to himself and went to the back of his store to work on making more wands.
-x-x-x-x-x-
Both Harry and Lillian had just come out of the store when they saw Professor McGonagall walking towards then. She looked at them both and noticed a very wet Harry Potter and a cold Lillian Mary Austin. "You sure took your time. I hope the whole thing went without any incidents?" she asked suspiciously.
"She set me on fire," Harry stated bluntly.
Lillian gasped in outrage and said, "I didn't do it on purpose!" she protested.
"Yes you did!" Harry snapped back at her.
"Well you almost knocked me out with those huge ice blocks of yours!" she yelled back at him.
Harry just laughed out loud. Lillian was preparing a retort but then she visibly deflated and muttered, "Arrogant git."
McGonagall saw them bickering again and thought, "Does it ever stop? They have been annoying each other ever since they met. I can't imagine what it's going to be like at Hogwarts with magic at their disposal!"
"Come on, let's get your Hogwarts uniform," she said sharply, "And please keep quiet or I'm going to get a splitting headache."
"Yes, Professor," they both said simultaneously, feigning obedience.
-x-x-x-x-x-
Half an hour later when they finally had gotten all their stuff, McGonagall asked them, "Well do you want to buy anything else?"
"I want to buy an owl," said Harry and Lillian said, "I want to buy a cat!"
McGonagall just nodded and sent Harry to the owl emporium and Lillian to the pet store which were side by side to each other.
Twenty minutes later, Harry came out; the proud owner of a snowy white owl whom he christened 'Hedwig' and another five minutes later Lillian came out, the proud owner of a tiny cute orange cat with green eyes whom she christened 'Tom'.
"What kind of a person names a cat Tom," Harry asked her as they walked towards the leaky cauldron.
"The kind who loves watching Tom and Jerry," she replied, not in the mood for another argument. Harry had no idea what this Tom and Jerry was.
Just outside the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron McGonagall stopped and turned towards them. "Now listen closely, your items have already been sent to your respective houses. Now this here is your train ticket for your journey on the 1st of September," she said handing them an envelope each. "To reach the platform nine and three quarters you will have to walk straight into the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Now do you have any questions?"
"Stuff already home, walk into barrier between platforms nine and ten, yep I'm good to go," Lillian said happily.
"Mr. Potter?"
"Yes, understood," he said.
"Alright then, touch this portkey and it will take us back to Ms. Austin's home and then I shall side along apparate with you back to your home Mr. Potter."
All three of them touched the portkey and were immediately portkeyed to the place they had left from earlier. Lillian hugged Professor McGonagall before she hurried back home. The Professor then turned back to Harry and said, "Alright Harry now just grab my hand tightly and we will get to your home in an instant."
Harry nodded and held her hand tightly.
Almost immediately he felt like the air was being squeezed out of his lungs and he was being sucked through a tight rubber tube and then it was gone. He took deep breaths steadying himself before giving the Professor an annoyed glare, "Don't wizards have any comfortable means of transportation," he asked her.
She just looked at him and said bluntly, "No we don't."
Taken aback by the straight forward answer Harry started walking towards number 4 Private Drive. "Oh and Harry," the Professor called out to him before vanishing, "Happy birthday six hours in advance."
Harry smiled at her, muttered thank you and slowly made his way to the Dursley's house feeling happier than he had ever felt before.