Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Harry hadn't know that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid and Ella had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help but trusting them. "This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place." It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big bookshop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he, Hagrid and Ella could see it. Before he mention this, Hagrid had steered them inside. When they started to go inside, Harry read the list that was attached to the first letter that he read, "'All students must be equipped with one standard size 2 pewter cauldron and may bring, if they desire, either an owl, a cat or a toad.' Can we find all of this in London?"

Ella smiled at Harry's innocent question before answering, "If you know where to go." As they all walked further into the bar, the bartender, Tom noticed them and smiled, "Ah, Hagrid, Ella! The usual, I presume?" Harry looked up and saw that Hagrid and Ella were waving and smiling at them.

Hagrid answered for both of them, "No, thanks, Tom. We're both on official Hogwarts business. Just helping Harry buy his school supplies."

"Bless my soul. It's Harry Potter!" Tom said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the boy that was standing next to Hagrid and Ella. He didn't know how to react. Then there was scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in Leaky Cauldron.

A man had approached Harry, "Welcome back, Mr. Potter. Welcome back."

"Doris Crockford. I can't believe I'm meeting you at last," she said, shaking his hand.

"Harry P-Potter. Can't tell you how p-p-please I am to meet you," another man stuttered.

"Hello, professor. I didn't see you," Hagrid said. Harry looked up to him, confused. "Professor Quirrell will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Oh, nice to meet you," he said as he was going to shake his hand.

"Fearfully fascinating subject," he said as he stared at Harry's hand. "Not that you need it, eh, P-Potter?"

"Yes, well, we must be going now. We have lots to buy," Ella said and Hagrid nodded.

"Good-bye," he said as he followed Hagrid and Ella out to a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but trash can and a few weeds.

"See, Harry? You're famous," he said as he led him out through the back door. They faced a brick wall.

"But why am I famous? All those people, how is it they know who I am?" he asked.

Hagrid and Ella made eye contact which didn't go unnoticed by Harry, Ella didn't say anything but Hagrid said, "I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you that," he answered as he faced the brick wall, "three up… two across…" he took out his umbrella from inside his jacket, and tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had touched quivered – it wriggled – in the middle, a small hole appeared – it grew wider and wider – a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. "Welcome, Harry to Diagon Alley." He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall. Luckily for Ella, it was cloudy but it wasn't raining. She didn't need people looking at her when the sun has come out. Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. He pointed to a store, "Here, you get your quills and ink. Over there, all your bits and bobs for doing wizardry." They passed a store where a group of kids were looking at the newest version of a racing broom that made Harry curious as to what it was. Ella looked at him, staring at the window and the racing broom and smiled.

"It's the Nimbus 2000, Harry. It just came out a couple of days ago," Ella explained.

"How did you get yours? Is it being sold like the one in the window?" Harry asked.

"No, I'm the first one trying it out. The Department of Magical Transportation do trials before they sell anything to make sure that it won't hurt anyone," she said. She could tell that Harry was confused by what she told him. "Look, Harry, why don't you take it easy for now. I mean, you must be overwhelmed with everything now especially since you found out that you're a wizard and what actually happened to your parents and all that. We can discuss brooms on another time, okay?" Ella asked and Harry agreed. He was already feeling besieged with what's been happening.

They continued to walk down as Harry asked them, "But how am I to pay for all this? I haven't any money."

"There's your money," Ella said, pointing to a building, "Gringotts, the wizard bank. There isn't a safer place, not one except perhaps Hogwarts," Ella said. She is well aware that Lily and James had left money for him.

They both walked into the bank, towards the back as Harry looked around, "Hagrid, what exactly are these things?"

"They're goblins, Clever as they come, but not the most friendly of beasts. Best stay close," he said as Harry stood close to Hagrid. They stood in front of one of them, "Mr. Harry Potter wishes to make a withdrawal."

The teller leaned forward to look at Harry, "And does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?"

"Wait a minute. Got it here somewhere. Ha! There's the little devil. And there's something else as well. Professor Dumbledore gave me this," he said giving him a letter, "It's about You-Know-What in vault You-Know-Which."

"Very well," he said receiving the letter and reviewing it. They all were led by another goblin who was given strict instructions to go to only both vaults.

"Vault 687," he said and got out of the goblin-made driving utility, looked at Hagrid, "Lamp please." Hagrid got out of his seat followed by Harry and Ella, "Key, please." He opened the vault door and Harry was in shock about what was inside.

"Did you think your parents would leave you with nothing?" Ella asked. Hagrid got enough money and some to spare for Harry to buy his school supplies. They went back into the driving utility and headed towards the second vault.

"Vault 713," the goblin said.

"What's in there, Hagrid?"

"Can't tell you. Hogwarts business. Very Secret."

"Stand back," the goblin said as he opened the door. When it did, there was nothing but a small package in it.

Hagrid went inside, picked it up, went outside and put it in his jacket pocket, "Best not mention this to anyone." They left the Gringotts bank and started to buy Harry's supplies. Harry looked down on his list to see if he needed to buy anything else as they walked out of a store.

"I still need a wand," he said.

"A wand? You want Ollivander's. There ain't no place better. Run along there and wait with Ella. I got one more thing to do. Won't be long," Hagrid said.

Ella and Harry walked into Ollivander's store. "Give me your things, Harry. I'll hold onto them while you get help getting your wand." Harry gave her his things and went up to the front counter.

"Hello? Hello?" he asked since no one was there. The next thing that happened was that the store owner had wheeled in on a ladder on wheels.

He looked at who was there and recognized him immediately, "I wondered when I'd be seeing you, Mr. Potter," and then he looked at the other presence, "Why, Ella, it's good to see you. I expect that your wand is in excellent shape?"

"Yes, Mr. Ollivander," she replied. "If you'd like, I can show it to you now."

"Not at the moment," he said, "it's important that I help Mr. Potter first," he looked at him and went to a shelf to look for a certain wand, "It seems like only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands." He found what he was looking for, "Here we are," he said as he gave him a wand. Harry just stood there holding it, looking at him expectedly, "Give it a wave," he said. Harry did and it sent several boxes out of its place. "Apparently not," he replied and went to another shelf to get another wand, "Perhaps this," Harry took it and waved it and made a flowerpot blow up. Harry gently put it on the counter, "No, no, definitely not. No matter," he said and then he looked at one place thoughtfully, "I wonder…" he said as he pulled out a wand. He walked out and stood in front of Harry and handed it to him. As Harry took it, there was a mysterious wind and a mystifying light around Harry, then it disappeared, "Curious… very curious."

"Sorry but what's curious?"

"I remember every wand I've sold, Mr. Potter. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail resides in your wand, gave two feathers… just two others. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when one of its brother gave you that scar," he said.

"And who owned that particular wand?" Harry asked and looked at Ella who seemed to know what he was talking about.

"We do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. But I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things… terrible… yes but great," he said.

"If You-Know-Who owns one of the wands and I have one, who has the third?" Harry asked.

"She's standing in this very room," he answered. Harry looked at Ella a bit shocked.

"Harry! Harry!" They heard Hagrid's voice, who was standing outside. Ella and Harry looked outside, "Happy Birthday," he said as he pointed to a cage that had an owl. Once they had gathered their things and Harry made sure that he had bought everything that he needed on the list. Once they were satisfied, they walked towards Tom's bar and grabbed something to eat. Hagrid and Ella looked at each other tentatively as they noticed Harry was quiet. They finally sat down after they had gotten their food. "You all right, Harry? You seem very quiet."

"He killed my parents, didn't he? The one who gave me this," he said pointing to his scar, "You know, Ella. I know you do. I saw your face… you knew what Mr. Ollivander was talking about. And you have one of the three wands. Plus I heard you tell my aunt and uncle that you were there the day my parents died."

She took an unnecessary breath before answering him, "First, and understand this because this is very important. Not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. A few years ago, there was a wizard who went as bad as you can go. His name was Lord Voldemort," she said.

"Voldemort?" he asked.

"It was dark times, Harry. Voldemort started to gather some followers. He brought them over to the Dark Side. Anyone that stood up to him ended up dead. Your parents fought against him. But nobody lived once he decided to kill him. Nobody, no one… except you," she said.

"Me? Voldemort tried to kill me?"

"Yes, that isn't an ordinary cut on your forehead, Harry. A mark like that only comes from being touched by a curse, an evil curse," Ella said.

"What happened to V…?" he started to ask and saw Hagrid's face, "What happened to You-Know-Who?"

"Well, some say he died. Codswallop in my opinion. Nope, I reckon he's out there still… too tired to carry on," Hagrid said.

"But one thing's certain. There was something about you stumped him that night. That's why you're famous, Harry. That's why everybody knows your name. You're the boy who lived," Ella said.

"But if I recall right, I heard you tell my aunt and uncle that you were there the day my parents died," Harry said.

"Yes, I was, but you see, I had used the invisibility charm, so Voldemort didn't know I was there until the charm had ended. When it did, my energy was used up and I was lying on the floor next to your mother's body. My mate, who you will meet when you get to Hogwarts, saved me. We disappeared for a moment to call my family," Ella wasn't sure how much to tell him. "I really do want to tell you more of this story, Harry but this isn't the right time or the right place." Harry nodded, accepting a very brief version of the story. The next day, all three of them walked towards the train station with Harry pushing the trolley with his things.

"What are you looking at?" Hagrid asked the couple who was looking at him while walking past them. He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time, "Blimey, is that the time? I'm gonna have to leave you. Dumbledore will be wanting his… well, he'll be wanting to see me. Ella will be staying with you. Your train leaves in 10 minutes. Ella has your ticket," he said. "Stick to your ticket, that's very important." They started to walk towards the platform.

Harry looked at Ella and asked, "Could I see the ticket?" Ella took it out of her purse and showed it to him. It was a perfect distraction so that Hagrid could leave. "'Platform 9 3/4?' Ella, Hagrid, there must be a mistake. This says Platform 9 3/4. There's no such thing, is there?" he looked up and saw that Hagrid was gone. "Where did he go?"

"He had to go, Harry," she replied. "I'll show you how to get there, come on." They both walked onto the platform. Harry looked around him and saw that people were looking at him.

"Ella, why is everyone looking at me?"

She looked around and laughed softly, "Harry, they're looking at me."

"Why?"

"They probably think I'm pretty," she said.

He looked at her good and hard for a minute, "Well, you do look pretty, I never noticed that before."

"Thank you, come on, let's go."

"It's the same every year, packed with Muggles," a voice said.

Harry looked at the woman who was talking, "Muggles?" Harry looked at her then at Ella, "Do you know that woman?" She looked at the woman and nodded.

"Platform 9 3/4, this way," she said and they both followed her.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Ella said.

"Oh, Ella, my dear," she said beckoning her to come. She gave Ella a hug. "How are you, my dear?"

"I'm doing well. How are you?"

"I'm doing good. What are you doing here?"

"I'm actually here to bring him to Hogwarts. Obviously we were on our way to Hogwarts Express" she said as she pointed to Harry without giving his name away.

"Ah, good that he's being taken care of," she turned around, "Percy, you first." Percy went through the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Harry blinked his eyes at what he saw and looked around. "Fred, you next."

"He's not Fred, I am," one of the twins said.

"You call yourself our mother?" the other said.

"I'm sorry, George."

He walked up to her with his trolley and paused in front of his mother, "I'm only joking, I am Fred," he said and ran towards it with George following him. Mrs. Weasley stood there, lightly fuming at their joke.

"Relax, Mrs. Weasley, you know they like to play jokes on people," Ella said.

"Don't I know that!" she said.

Harry spoke up, "Could you tell me how to…"

"How to get onto the platform? Not to worry, dear. Its Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well. Ella, you don't mind my telling him how to do it?" She shook her head. "All you do is walk straight at the wall between Platform 9 and 10. Best to run if you're nervous."

"Good luck," a miniature version of Mrs. Weasley said. He ran towards it and arrived to the other side of the gate and looked behind him then turned around and saw Hogwarts Express. Shortly after arriving, he saw Ella right behind him. They got onto the train after leaving Harry's things with the train attendant and found which compartment they were standing in and found an empty room. They were both sitting there quietly. Ella knew that Harry needed some time to digest what has happened for the past few days.

"Excuse me," a voice said. Ella and Harry looked over and saw the red-haired boy from the train station. "Do you mind? Everywhere else is full."

Harry looked at me, "Not at all," I replied.

He sat down across from both of us, "I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley."

"I'm Ella Cullen," she replied.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter," he replied.

"So it's true!" he was surprised, Ella hid her smile, "I mean, do you really have the…"

"The what?"

"The scar?" Harry grinned and showed it to him, "Wicked!"

A Trolley attendant had showed up, "Anything off the Trolley, dears?"

"No, thanks, I'm all set," Ron said showing her his food.

Harry looked at it, "We'll take the lot," and showing the money. I got up from the seat after taking Harry's money and brought it towards the Trolley and bought what he said and gave the lady the money after taking the treats into my hands.

"Ron, why don't you sit next to Harry and both of you can share the treats," Ella said as she put the treats in the middle. Ron sat on the other end and Ella sat where Ron used to sit and smiled as they dug in.

Harry picked up a package, "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?"

"They mean every flavor. There's chocolate and peppermint and also spinach, liver and tripe," Ron said as he tried to think of different flavors. Ella had to hold back her laugh as she had seen Harry's expression. "George swore he got a booger-flavored one once."

Harry picked up another small box, "Are they real frogs?"

"It's a spell. You want the cards. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I've got about 500 myself," Ron explained. Harry opened the box and the frog jumped onto the window and jumped out of it, "Watch it! That's rotten luck. They've only got one good jump in them.

Harry looked at the card that he had, "I've got Dumbledore!" He looked up from the card.

"I got about six of him," said Ron.

He looked down and was shocked, "Hey, he's gone!"

"You can't expect him to hang around all day, can you?"

"Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one," a young girl said.

"No," Ron replied after biting off some candy.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then."

Ron cleared his throat, "Sunshine, daises, butter mellow… Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." The box had come off the rat's head which startled it.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not a very good, is it? I've only tried a few simple ones myself but they've all worked for me," she said and then came into the room and stood in front of Harry, "For example: Oculus Reparo!" Harry's glasses were instantly fixed. "That's better, isn't it? Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter!" Then she looked at the woman, "And you're Miss Ella Jade Cullen, the Assistant to the Hogwarts Headmaster. I'm Hermione Granger," then looked at Ron, "And you are…?"

"I'm Ron Weasley," he said.

"Pleasure. You two better change into robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon," she said and left the room. She paused by the door, then turned around and faced Ron, "You've got dirt on your nose. Did you know? Just there," she said pointing on her own nose where the dirt was.

The boys had changed into their clothes and robes and were ready by the time we got to the main station. "Harry, this is where I leave you. Hagrid will meet you here and lead the way to Hogwarts," she told him.

"Will I see you at Hogwarts?" Harry asked, a bit frightened to be left alone.

"Yes, you will see me. Like Hagrid mentioned that I am an Assistant to the Headmaster and the assistant to the Head of House of Gryffindor," she replied.