Leon woke up to the sound of thunder and the alluring smell of bacon wafting into his room early in the morning, realizing that today was the day that he finally got to go to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies. As he got up in his excitement, he got dressed and looked at the date, realizing it was July thirty-first, and smiled before going downstairs to see his mom had just finished making breakfast. He walked up to his mother and gave her a hug, saying, "Good morning, Mum. Breakfast smells amazing."
She smiled and hugged him back in reply. "Oh, well thank you. I figured that since today was such a special day, I would cook up something special for you: bacon and waffles."
"Thank you so much! You are the best!" Leon said with much enthusiasm.
They both sat down and had a nice meal as they planned out what the day will look like. After their meal, they left the house via floo powder to make it to Diagon Alley in a nice, timely fashion, without being caught out in the raging storm. Upon arrival, they went straight to Ollivander's to get his wand.
Olivander greeted them with a smile. "Hello, and welcome. I have been expecting you for a while now."
"I know, but Mum has been quite busy, so it did take some time to get a day set aside for this trip, Mr. Ollivander," Leon said with a chuckle.
"Quite right, you are, Mr. Nightingale. Knowing how busy of a woman your mother is, I am not surprised it took so long. Speaking of, how is your wand holding up, Robin? Still working well I hope?" Ollivander asked curiously.
Leon's mother, Robin, smiled and simply replied, "You know very well that it is still working perfectly, Garrick. Your wands are possibly the best in the world."
Ollivander blushed and said, "You are far too kind, ma'am, but lets see to what kind of wand your boy will have an affinity for."
Then the process of finding Leon his first wand began, and it took a surprisingly long amount of time before being found. In the end, Leon ended up with a wand of sycamore wood with a dragon core, thirteen inches and reasonably supple flexibility. He smiled and paid for his wand before going to Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, where he would have quite the encounter. As he walked in, he saw another boy getting his measurements for robes, and decided to start up a conversation as he waited.
"Hello," Leon began with a smile. "I don't believe we've met before. I am Leon Nightingale. What is your name?"
The other boy looked over, surprise crossing his features before they slowly went away and he replied, "Harry Potter. Nice to meet you, Leon."
Leon was shocked, but he composed himself quickly before stating, "Likewise, Harry. Starting up at Hogwarts this year as well, are you?"
"Yeah, I was excited to get my supplies today. It's a bit of a trip, since today is also my birthday."
"If that's the case, I believe a 'happy birthday' is in order, Harry. I hope you have been finding everything okay so far." Leon gave Harry a warm smile, hoping to show The Boy Who Lived that he mattered as a person just as much as he mattered for why he was famous.
"Oh, I have been, so far, and thank you for the birthday wish. It means quite a lot to me." Harry smiled with a faint blush, and Leon couldn't help but notice his embarrassment. Maybe he wasn't used to genuine kindness, he thought.
"Think nothing of it. Do you have any guess at which of the Hogwarts houses you will be placed in?" Leon asked curiously.
Harry, caught off guard, replied "I'm not entirely sure, actually. Do you have any ideas?"
"More than likely, I'll be placed in Slytherin," Leon stated proudly. "My family has a long, noble history in the house of Slytherin, as far as I know, since almost every member of the Nightingale family that I've been told has been sorted there."
"Well, if you are in Slytherin, then I guess it wouldn't be a bad one to be sorted into. I was having doubts earlier when..." Harry paused, slightly nervous, slightly nervous to continue.
Leon caught on quickly enough, though, and chuckled before he said, "Let me guess: they said there was never a dark witch or wizard that hasn't come from Slytherin?"
Harry was shocked. "Y... Yeah how did you know?"
"When you come from a long line of Slytherins, you hear it all the time, but that line of thinking is a bit weird, if you ask me," Leon said matter of factly. "Couldn't good or evil come from any house?"
Harry paused, seemingly in thought, then Leon continued. "It all comes down to the character of the individual, not their house. Try to remember that, Harry, to save yourself some grief."
Harry smiled brightly and nodded. "I will do my best to keep that in mind." He paused for a second, fumbling a bit. "You know, you made my day, by treating me like a normal person like this. I haven't gotten much of that since I arrived."
"It is no problem," Leon told Harry, "because you are just another guy in my eyes. If we become friends, or even rivals, I will always treat you with the same level of respect as the rest of our peers." Leon nudged Harry's arm gently. He could tell that this would be the beginning of an interesting friendship.
They kept talking for a while after they were done getting their robes, and spent the next few hours hanging out getting to know each other as they walked around getting their supplies. Before parting ways Leon gave Harry a handshake, expressing eagerness at seeing him at school. Harry smiled before he left, and Leon felt light as he rejoined his mother and the two made their way home. After their return, Leon decided he would get a head start on the material for school and spent the remaining time before getting on the Hogwarts Express to go to Hogwarts studying his books. It would be an eventful first year, and he wanted to make it count.