Chapter 5

Diagon Alley

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed over the last couple chapters! You guys rock! Don't have much to say in this note, clearly I don't own Harry Potter though ; ).

Mychakk: I think you'll find my take on Dumbledore to be rather less straightforward than bashing or hero. I hope you enjoy it.

Anotherboarduser: You have to remember that Harry is only just turning eleven. How would he hope to fight back? And currently, there is no electronic record of anything that has happened at the Dursleys. Also I firmly believe in placing blame where blame is due. Dumbledore didn't beat Harry. He placed him with the Dursleys, who beat him. I don't believe that any blackmail should be directed at him for that. Secondly, I think it is a much more interesting question why Dumbledore would place Harry with them. As for Harry hurting them, he's been the smallest person in the family who was malnourished frequently with occasional beatings mixed in, how do you suggest he hurt them?

Mizu-bozu: That's one thing I'm going to be trying to mend throughout the series. I feel that many characters were glorified placeholders who had no real depth of character. As for the Ronald question, I think you'll understand what happens, and I hope you enjoy it.

Harry awoke in an unfamiliar place. He looked around at his rectangular room, saw the second bed with Hagrid's large form draped over it. He watched as Hagrid's hair, draped over his face, puffed up slightly with each exhale from his large lungs. Harry laid contentedly in his bed at the Leaky Cauldron and remembered the previous night.

The young conductor of the Knight Bus, Stan Shunpike, had stared openly at Harry when he had been pulled along past Hagrid. "Is that 'im?" He was able to stutter out before they had arrived at a pair of seats. Hagrid nodded slowly at Stan. "Aye, this is 'Arry Potter. 'Arry, this is Stan Shunpike, he's the conductor of the Knight Bus."

"Pleased to meet you." Harry said quietly. Stan continued to stare at him as if he was from another planet. Harry was beginning to look nervous until Stan finally spoke up. "A pleasure, Mr. Potter. An absolute pleasure."

He stepped forward and grasped Harry's hand into a rough handshake, pumping his arm up and down violently.

"Ta Diagon Alley, then?" Hagrid said suggestively. Stan nodded immediately and said, "Oh yes—Yes, sir. Right away." Casting one last look at Harry before returning to the front of the double decker bus. When he was safely situated near the front of the bus, Harry whispered to Hagrid, "Why was he staring at me? Is there something wrong with me?"

"I'll explain everything at the Cauldron." Hagrid responded. "We'll get ya a bite ta hold ya over."

The rest of the jerky ride was made in silence, punctuated sharply by crash and cry when the bus halted or jumped to a start. The silence resting between Harry and Hagrid was not uncomfortable, it held no sinister intent. It was a friendly sort of silence, the sort that grows between two close friends. The only strangeness about it was that Harry and Hagrid had met each other only that night.

Harry's thoughts explored everything that had happened in the last hour like it was a wound he had just found in his mouth that he couldn't leave alone. He thought of the appearance of the key within his cupboard; of his escape, and meeting with Hagrid. He thought of the confrontation with Vernon. It all seemed so surreal. He was a wizard. He could do magic. As he looked at the large man sitting quietly next to him, Harry began to understand that his life had been inextricably changed. He would never be the same child he had been an hour ago.

They jerked to a stop at the Leaky Cauldron where Hagrid attempted to pay Stan Shunpike, but was waved off. "It was a pleasure, sir." The young man said, staring oddly at Harry.

Harry just nodded vaguely, having no idea why the man was acting in this manner, and followed Hagrid off the bus and into the Leaky Cauldron. Harry held tightly onto his roughly-made backpack. As they entered the Leaky Cauldron in the small hours of the night, Hagrid turned to Harry.

"Can't quite know who might be in there." He said quietly. "If they stare at ya, just ignore 'em. I'll explain when we get to our rooms."

Harry nodded. "Thank you." He said timidly to the large man.

Hagrid looked down at Harry with an expression Harry found unreadable, and then they entered. There were a few worn-looking patrons sitting around the Leaky Cauldron even at this late hour. Some looked up when they heard the door open, but most continued staring into their drinks or talking boisterously with the others around them. Of those who looked, it appeared that there were several who hadn't even noticed Harry enter next to Hagrid's large form.

As they approached the bar, Hagrid looked up to the man behind the bar. "Hullo, Tom. How are you today?" He asked with his broad smile.

"I'm doing quite well, Hagrid. The usual for you?"

"Not tonight, Tom. Me and the boy need beds and summat to eat."

Tom looked down to Harry, having not noticed him standing shyly next to Hagrid. He began to look away before double-taking to the lightning-shaped scar that adorned his forehead. "Bless my soul. It's Harry Potter." He whispered reverently.

All noise within the small bar halted at this proclamation. Heads turned and stares were refocused from half-empty mugs of ale to the small child by the bar. Harry froze at the attention. He hadn't been moving so much previously, but as the stares of every patron locked onto him, Harry stopped everything. It appeared as if he almost didn't breathe.

Hagrid looked at the man behind the bar. "We'll be needing some room keys, and whatever yeh've got to eat brought to the room."

At this, Tom roused himself from his revery. "Of course sirs." He said gracefully, as if to Hagrid, but clearly his attention was only for Harry. "May I—may I shake your hand?" He stuttered to Harry.

Harry nodded dumbly and held out a hand for the bar owner to shake. Tom grasped Harry's hand between both of his and pumped them up and down, all the while wearing an expression of one who unexpectedly encounters a beautiful animal. "Thank you, sir. Thank you." He said before grabbing a key from the wall behind him and leading the pair up to their room. As Hagrid and Harry turned their backs to the people within the bar and began to ascend the stairs, Harry heard bursts of whispered conversation being struck up at every table.

Tom led them up to the second floor, turning to the right when he reached the intersection at the top of the stairs, and opening the second door on the left with the key he had in his hand. As they entered the room Tom watched the pair closely, as if trying to glean information. "What would you sirs like to eat?" He said genially.

"Whatever yeh've got on hand." Hagrid said with his deep voice. "Don't want ter be no nuisance. Appreciate it if ya'd help us keep some privacy. 'Arry and I needs have a serious talk."

Tom nodded, his eyes locking once again onto Harry and his scar. "Well if you need anything, let me know. I'll be just downstairs. Again, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you." He said before exiting the room.

After the man left the room, Harry burst out, "What was that, Hagrid? Why were they all staring at me?"

Hagrid let out a massive sigh. "Let me gather meself. I don't even know where to start."

There was a silence as Hagrid paced the room furiously. Harry sat in a nearby chair, waiting for Hagrid to begin his explanation. Eventually, Hagrid sighed again and started.

"I guess there's nowhere to start but the beginning. Firstly, there is a world of wizards that muggles don't know a thing about."

"Muggles?" Harry said questioningly.

"Non-magic folk." Hagrid said, waving his hand as if banishing the thought of such people. "There's laws and rules to keep wizards from getting found out. Muggles and wizards don't have the best of histories relating to each other."

"Now, wizards go to schools all over the world to learn magic, but the best of these schools is 'ogwarts, it's where yer parents went. Well as good as 'ogwarts is, they teach wizards that go on to be the most powerful wizards in the world, but every school has wizards that go bad. Now a few years back there was a wizard who went as bad as you can go. Everyone calls him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Why do they call him that?" Harry asked.

"Well, it used to be he was so powerful that folk were mighty afraid saying his name. Only those who wasn't scared would say it, or who served him. Other folk just called him You-Know-Who."

"What's his name though?" Harry said inquisitively.

"I'm gettin' ta that." Hagrid said, exasperated. He paused for a moment, steeling himself. "His name was Vol—Voldemort." As Hagrid said this, he shuddered like he was shaking off a layer of ice.

"What did he do?" Harry asked.

"Well he built himself an army of followers, and tried to take control of the wizarding world. His followers raged throughout Europe, and he held a good deal of power before he was defeated."

"How was he defeated?"

"Well, Harry. That's where you come in. You see, Voldemort had followers all through Russia, Germany, and much of the rest of Europe. So he set his sights on England. He knew that England would be the point that won or lost him the war. Well, people fought him. None of them wanted You-Know-Who taking over. Albus Dumbledore created the Order of the Phoenix, a group that tried to stop You-Know-Who. Your parents were part of that group." Harry listened with rapt attention.

"Well You-Know-Who had seen yer parents fighting him and he decided ta get rid of them. Your parents were awful strong, 'Arry. Awful strong. But they knew it was only a matter of time unless they hid somewheres safe. When You-Know-Who got wanting to kill ya it was all ya could do. Well they stayed safe for a while, but 'ventually, You-Know-Who found them."

"He came to your parents' house and killed them, then he tried to kill you. Now killing was You-Know-Who's business. It was what he was best at, and no one survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill 'em. But something happened that night, 'arry. You were the boy who lived. Something about ya beat him that night. That's why you're famous. The darkest wizard of our time tried to kill you, and all you got was that scar."

Harry just sat, stunned. His parents had been murdered by a dark wizard; a dark wizard who had tried to kill Harry. His thoughts ran through the events of his life in an entirely new light. He was with the Dursleys because of Voldemort. In that moment he told himself he would never even think of him as You-Know-Who. He would give no honor to the man that destroyed his life.

"What happened to Voldemort?" Harry's voice came out in a whisper, surprising him.

"Don't say his name!" Hagrid nearly shouted. He composed himself for a moment as Harry's bright green eyes gazed at him. "No one knows exactly what happened to him that night, 'arry. Some folk say he's dead and gone, and good riddance! But I think he's waiting for the right time to come back. And when he does, we better be ready."

And on that dark note, the conversation had ended. Tom brought the quiet pair their food and they ate in silence. When they had finished, each went to his bed. Harry didn't know if Hagrid slept, but he couldn't. He sat up late into the night and watched as the room gradually brightened into daytime. His whole world had been entirely turned around.

He started to understand why Vernon and Petunia had always been so angry when he acted any way but normal. They were afraid. They were afraid of the little magic boy who had killed a genocidal maniac before he could walk, and the genocidal maniac who wanted that boy dead.

Harry had contemplated all of this throughout the night, and now sat with his potato-sack turned over, all of his earthly possessions next to him on the bed. This is how Harry began the day of July 31st. Holding a small, silver key in one hand; and a picture of two people he had never known in his other hand. Two people he had never had the chance to know. The two greatest people in the world. His tears dripped off of his face and ran across the photo, leaving no mark of their passing.

Harry sat like this still. Looking at the photo, holding the key. His tears had long since dried when Hagrid awoke. The big man rolled slowly from his bed and looked down to Harry sitting on his.

"'arry, are yeh alright?"

Harry nodded. "I'll be fine, just had to get used to my new life."

Hagrid nodded, then a wide smile broke out on his face. "'Arry! 'appy birthday!"

Harry smiled slightly, his face fell again a moment later though.

"What's wrong?" Hagrid asked quickly.

Harry let the question hang for a long moment before replying.

"Hagrid, thank you for saving me from the Dursleys. I can't stand the idea of living there without knowing any of this." He gestured with his hands as if to signify everything around them. "And I'd really like to go to Hogwarts. But I don't have any money to pay for tuition. I can't even afford a bus ride on my own. So I don't think I can go there with you." By the time Harry had finished speaking, he had dropped his head. His eyes pointed to the floor and filled with tears. He wanted nothing more than to learn magic at the same school his parents had attended, but he knew that without money, that wasn't an option. He didn't even know what was an option.

"'arry my boy! Is that all?" Hagrid said with a broad smile. "'arry, look at me."

Harry met Hagrid's eyes warily.

"Ya don't have to worry about money. Even if ya didn't have a knut, people from across the world would be making lines ta see who could donate first ta help the Boy Who Lived." Hagrid said softly. Harry's expression changed and he was about to speak when Hagrid continued, "But don't worry about that 'arry. Yer folks didn't leave you with nothing. Come on, I'll show yeh."

Hagrid pulled Harry to his feet and led him from the room and down into the main room of the Leaky Cauldron. There were significantly more people in the dim room this time. As they entered, Harry had the peculiar feeling that he was a character in a play, and each person in the room had just been pretending to do something else until the main character arrived and their scene began.

Harry was passed from person to person, none of whom he knew, receiving various greetings like:

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter. Welcome back."

Or

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Potter."

Everyone was giving Harry business cards for whatever service they provided. There were cards for de-gnoming a garden, repairing magical wardings, and, oddly enough, plumbing repair. The man who had provided this wore a red shirt with blue overalls, a red cap with a white 'M' on it, and an obviously fake black moustache. He looked distinctly familiar to Harry.

As Hagrid ushered Harry away from the group and closer to the door, Harry asked, "What was that man wearing? He looked like a video game character."

"Well I've never seen no videa game. But that's the plumber's uniform. Yeh see, some magic folks choose to make their livin' fixin' things in the muggle world, 'stead of some dangerous work in our world." Hagrid shot Harry a significant look when he said this. "He runs a plumber's company, so he wears the uniform."

"Hagrid, plumbers don't all wear red shirts and overalls. It's just a character."

Hagrid looked at Harry incredulously for a moment. "Are yeh sure, Harry? He's a plumber, I think he'd know his business."

They were almost to the back exit from the Leaky Cauldron when a man wearing a purple turban approached them. "H-Harry P-Potter." He said stuttering. "P-pleased to meet you."

"This is Professor Quirrell, he'll be yer Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at 'ogwarts."

"Pleased to meet you." Harry said sincerely.

"I hope you'll enj-joy my class, P-Potter. Not that y-you'll need it." Quirrell said with a smile. Tom exited from the pantry door directly behind Quirrell and the turbaned professor jumped almost a foot in the air and clutch at the wood bar behind him for support.

"T-T-Tom! Y-you g-gave me a t-t-turn there."

Tom looked at him wryly, almost laughing. "I apologize Professor, I only meant to grab some carrots."

"Y-yes. Of c-course." Quirrell said shakily.

"Well, me and Harry must be off." Hagrid said to Quirrell. "He has to get 'is supplies and make a stop at Gringotts to boot."

Quirrell nodded and bid them farewell before Hagrid opened the rear exit of the Leaky Cauldron. It led into an alley with brick walls on three sides. The only thing in the small area was a full trash can. "Three up, two across." Hagrid muttered to himself, tapping a particular brick with his umbrella.

Suddenly, the brick wall in front of them receded into itself. Bricks sliding and shifting as the wall just sort of melted away. "Th-that was amazing!" Harry yelled out. Hagrid gave Harry an odd look. "Yeh'll see much more than that here. Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Harry was amazed. All around were people milling through the streets as if it was entirely normal. This was far from the case. Harry saw stores selling potions ingredients, owls were flying up and down the street, men were demonstrating some sort of sheet that when they put it on, made them disappear.

"What's that Hagrid?" Harry said pointing at the group of men.

"That's an invisibility cloak, 'Arry. They make yeh invisible if yeh wear 'em, but they aren't worth what they cost. Yeh won't find one for less than fifty galleons, and they're the cheap ones. Lose their charms before yeh know it. If you get hit by most any spell, they'll break then and there."

Harry just nodded along. "It'd be amazing to be invisible."

Hagrid nodded, "But money's much better spent."

As they walked down the street, they passed various storefronts such as Ollivander's Wand Shop, Eeylop's Owl Emporium, Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, and a dozen others. "What's Gringotts?" Harry asked.

"Gringotts is the wizarding bank. It's where wizard families keep their money. Run by goblins, that."

"Goblins?" Harry asked, amazed.

Hagrid nodded. "Only a fool would dare try and steal from goblins. Brilliant minds, goblins; but vicious. No safer place ter keep something. Even heard dragons guard the highest security vaults. I'd love ter get my hands on a dragon."

"You want a dragon?" Harry asked.

"Always have, since I was a boy. Magnificent creatures, dragons."

They approached the front doors of Gringotts and entered the lobby. All around, wizards and goblins moved about doing their business. Harry tried not to gape openly at his first sight of the goblins. There were goblins doing all sorts of things. Some were writing in great books of numbers; some were examining precious stones to determine their value; some were leading wizards out through the many doors that were around the hall. They approached a goblin behind a desk.

"Mr. 'arry Potter is here to make a withdrawal." Hagrid said to the goblin at the desk.

"Does Mr. Potter have his key?" The goblin asked.

"Got it right 'ere." Hagrid said, producing a small golden key from one of his large pockets.

He then dug around in his pocket and produced a letter. "That's from Dumbledore, about vault seven hundred and thirteen."

The goblin nodded and said, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook approached them, and led the pair out of a door on the far side of the hall. In front of them was a cart secured to a track. Hagrid and Harry boarded with some difficulty due to Hagrid's size. Griphook then took his place in front of the cart and they began to roll down the track. They gained speed rapidly and were soon jerking through turns and drops.

They passed places where the track split in three directions and they went left. There were places where some tracks broke off and ended abruptly, leaving a drop-off of several hundred feet in the massive cavern. Harry began to understand why Hagrid had said no sane person would try to rob Gringotts. It was a maze. A maze with dead ends and traps all around. Then Harry noticed Griphook wasn't steering.

They arrived at Harry's vault first, Griphook chiming out, "Vault six hundred and eighty-seven." Griphook took the golden key from Hagrid and inserted it into an imperceptible keyhole. Griphook turned the key in the lock and the door swung open. Inside, there were hundreds of coins. Gold coins stacked in great mounds, silver coins piled high in the back of the room and knuts laid throughout the floor.

"This is all mine?" Harry gasped disbelievingly. "I can't believe it." The Dursleys couldn't have known about this. They would have taken it all.

"All yours, Harry. Your parents were mighty fine wizards."

"How much do I need?" Harry asked.

"Well, let me explain the coins. The gold ones are called galleons. The silver coins are sickles. There are seventeen sickles to a galleon. Finally, the bronze coins are knuts. Twenty-nine knuts go to a sickle."

"Alright." Harry said, trying to memorize the numbers. "But how much do I need? I don't know how much anything will cost. I don't even have my equipment list."

"Oh, that's right." Hagrid said quickly as he began digging his hands through his pockets before producing a scrap of parchment. "Dumbledore had me bring this, just in case." He handed Harry a letter identical to the one Vernon had taken from him. He moved quickly to the equipment list.

"First-year students will require: Three sets of plain work robes; black, one plain pointed black hat for day wear, one pair of protective gloves; dragon hide or similar, and one winter cloak with black or silver fastenings. Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags."

"All students should have a copy of each of the following: The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk, A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot, Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling, A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore, Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble."

"Students will also require a wand, a standard size 2 pewter cauldron, glass or crystal phials, a telescope set, and a set of brass scales. Students may also bring an owl, a cat, or a toad. Parents are reminded that first years are not allowed their own broomsticks."

Hagrid nodded along as Harry listed the items. "Should be about twelve galleons for that." Hagrid said. "Yeh should probably take about 15 galleons so yeh have some money. Each term will have some small costs."

"But what about tuition, Hagrid?"

"Yer parents had paid your tuition before they died. Yer names been on 'ogwarts books for years."

Harry looked around the vault. His eyes searched out every item. There were books stacked in the back, a silver chess set in one corner. There was a writing desk on which sat an open book with a black feather quill resting over it. The page to which it was turned was dotted with dried tears. Harry peered down at the book and read.

"If you're reading this, son. That means we've died. This is your mother's diary. I want you to take it. Read it. It won't be the same, but it'll be something. Your father's journal is underneath this one. They are our gifts to you. It doesn't make up for us not being there. We want you to know we love you so much. You are the most important thing in the world to us. We're so sorry for not being there with you. We know it has to be hard, you have to feel nervous and scared reading this; but your father and I hope you'll put on a brave face and show the world how fantastic we know you are. I know it's unfair that we're already asking you to do things for us, but we can't help it. We're parents. Your father asks that you finish his journal when you reach the end. And remember, we love you so much."

Tears were streaming down his face as he finished reading. His mother's words. His mother's handwriting. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful. Harry took the book in his hand and closed it before withdrawing his father's as well. He grabbed the black feather quill and placed it neatly between two pages of his mother's diary.

Harry took fifteen galleons from the large stacks of money in the vault and placed it in a purse Hagrid had found among the stacks and they exited. They piled back into the cart and descended farther down into the darkness. After a couple of minutes, they arrived at their destination. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen." Griphook called.

Only Hagrid entered this vault, withdrawing the one shabby package that was inside the vault before they ascended back to the surface. Harry remained quiet as they exited the large bank, holding tightly to the two books in his hand. Hagrid looked down at him.

"Best get yer robes." He said, pointing to Madam Malkin's shop. "If you don't mind, I have some quick business to conduct; will you be alright getting your robes alone?"

Harry nodded his head and they parted ways as Harry ducked into the clothing shop. As he entered, a stout woman with curly brown hair greeted him. She looked to be in her mid-thirty's and had a measuring tape thrown over her shoulder.

"Another one for Hogwarts?" She asked Harry. He nodded and looked at her nervously.

"Come on back then." She said, leading him to a fitting room where she began taking his measurements.

"So, are you excited for your first year?" she questioned politely.

Harry nodded slowly. He felt unendingly nervous now that Hagrid had left him. Something about the man's presence had made all of this seem more manageable. Harry remembered the contents of his mother's letter; her request for him to be brave.

"W-what's it like?" Harry asked quietly.

"It's one of the best places in the world." Madam Malkin said as she measured his arms. "There are four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. I was a Hufflepuff." She said the last proudly.

"What are the houses like?"

"Well they're based on the four Hogwarts founders. Gryffindor sorted out the students he thought were the bravest, Ravenclaw wanted only the smartest students, Slytherin wanted those with ambition, and Hufflepuff would take any student with dedication."

Harry nodded as Madam Malkin finished her measuring. She then looked up at Harry's face.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. A young, handsome man like you couldn't go wrong at Hogwarts."

Harry blushed as she said this and Madam Malkin ruffled his messy hair. As she did so, Madam Malkin saw his lightning-bolt scar for the first time. "Oh my," she whispered. "You're Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you. I knew your parents."

At this, Harry's attention was piqued. "How did you know them?"

"They were in my year at Hogwarts." Madam Malkin said.

"What houses were they in?" Harry asked eagerly.

"They were both Gryffindors," Madam Malkin said with a smile. "but I never held it against them. They were two of the best people I've ever met."

Harry smiled and they talked of his parents for the rest of his fitting. He exited the robe shop and stood outside waiting for Hagrid. After standing for close to ten minutes, Harry was impatient and decided he would continue buying the items on his list. He pored over the items on the list and was at a loss of where to obtain which items.

His eyes locked on one word. Wand. Harry looked up and saw Ollivander's Wand Shop just across the street. He ducked his head back into Madam Malkin's and asked her to tell Hagrid he had gone to get his wand when he returned, then he walked briskly back across the street and opened Ollivander's door.

A/N: Wow, that chapter turned out much longer than I had expected it to be. Please review and let me know what you thought! I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I enjoy writing it. If you have any questions as to why I made the choices I did, I'll be happy to answer them. Next update should be today or tomorrow unless the chapter ends up telling me it needs to be longer like this one did. Thank you so much for reading!

Where were you when I was studying politics?