*~*~*~* Chapter 2 ~ Odd Men Make Brilliant Wizards~*~*~*~*
The 20th of August dawned warm and bright. James woke very early, as children always do when they're excited. By seven o'clock, he was dressed and half way through his breakfast, while his parents were still in bed. He shouted loudly up the stairs for them to wake up, and then set about reading through the list of things he needed.
***
Lily was awake, too, very early. As were her parents, for when she entered the kitchen for her breakfast, there were her father and mother busy making cereal.
"Hello dear," Mr Evans said with a smile, "What do you want? Frosties? Busy day ahead of us."
Well, it hadn't all been a dream then.
"Sounds great! Where's Petunia?"
"She's upstairs, asleep. She's not coming, going out with her friends." Mr Evans answered, with a slight scowl on his face.
"Oh." Lily didn't want her there anyway.
"You eat up, there's my girl. Then we'll head off. I think we should take that booklet thing too, for directions."
The Hogwarts Prospectus was given to the families of all students with muggle parentage. It outlined the magical world, and explained how to get to Diagon Alley, and the shops that would be of use to them when buying school supplies, and then went on to explain the school itself.
Within the last twenty-four hours, Lily had read through it three times, and nearly knew it by heart.
***
James and his parents reached London by nine-thirty. They stopped for a quick drink in the Leaky Cauldron, before entering Diagon Alley itself.
Though James had been there many times before, he was always amazed by the amount of witches and wizards within the cobbled street.
"Well, we must head off to Gringotts first. Come along James!" James straggled along behind his parents, looking over at a shop called 'Quality Quidditch Supplies,' trying to figure out if there was a new broom there. Judging by the crowd formulated outside, he guessed there was.
"Mum? Can I-"
"Later James. It's busy today, we don't want you getting lost, do we?" She already knew what he was going to ask.
"But mu-um!" he said, sounding rather much like a spoilt child.
"Well, if you promise to meet us outside Gringotts in thirty minutes. Okay?"
"I promise mum. See you in thirty!" With that, James ran towards the shop, smiling.
"What WILL we do with that boy?" Mr Potter said to his wife, chuckling.
"I don't know, love and care for him I suppose..."
***
Lily had pulled out the prospectus and was following the directions carefully. They were now walking up a busy muggle street, apparently looking out for a 'Shabby-looking pub, called The Leaky Cauldron'. Then Lily saw it. In between a record store and a large bookshop, a small, dark building was half-hidden. A sign above it, squeaking slightly in the breeze read 'The Leaky Cauldron'.
"Here mum, dad!" she said, as her parents nearly walked straight past it.
"Oh!" They doubled back, and walked through the pub entrance with Lily.
Inside, the pub was just as dark as it had been outside. The prospectus told her to ask the bar tender directions from there.
"Um…excuse me?" Lily asked quietly to the man at the bar. He smiled before answering.
"First year at Hogwarts?" he asked.
Lily nodded.
"Um…Fletcher? Go be a pal and open the gateway for them? Muggle-born," he said, before a boy, of no older than ten, got up and walked towards the back of the pub. He gestured for Lily and her parents to follow.
They did, and appeared at a brick wall.
"Right miss. Watch carefully. You'll be doing this yourself in a while."
Suddenly, he produced a wand from his pocket.
"Me dads," he said, before tapping on what appeared as random bricks. Lily watched with her utmost attention, memorizing every move.
Suddenly the bricks parted, leaving an archway big enough for them to walk through.
"Thanks!" Lily called back to him, as she and her parents walked into Diagon Alley.
***
James had made his way to the front of the crowd, seeing the fastest broom in the world, only a metre from his nose.
"Wow!" was all he could say.
***
"Wow!" she exclaimed, at the sight of all the witches and wizards in front of her.
It seemed so funny to Lily that just on the other side of the Leaky Cauldron, was a world oblivious to this one. Here, everyone, except for the odd muggle family, were wearing robes of all colours, and pointed hats, but on the other side of the pub was a world that was…well, blind.
How could she never have known?
She was brought back to her senses then, by a call from her parents.
"Lily! Come on, keep up!"
"Coming!"
She walked slowly, trying to take everything in. There were so many shops, shops like she had never seen. 'Magical Menagerie', 'Eeylops Owl Emporium', 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour', and one, she saw, called 'Quality Quiddtch Supplies', was selling broomsticks, apparently for the game called 'Quidditch' she had seen mentioned in the prospectus; something of a school sport…
***
James ran towards Gringotts, knowing that he was meant to have been there ten minutes ago. It was very difficult to get anywhere at speed through the masses of people, but he knew he had to try. His parents would start to worry.
***
CRASH!
Someone had walked straight into Lily, with such force, causing her to fall to the floor. She looked up, blushing furiously, to see a boy with messy black hair stare straight back down at her.
"Miss! DO watch where you're going!" he said to her, before storming off.
How rude! Lily thought. She stood up, watching that head push past in the thronging crowd. Lily watch where she was going? What about him?
***
James crashed straight into someone. He had no time for apologises.
Though, when he looked the girl he had hit to the floor in the eye, he couldn't help but notice how pretty that girl was. And the fact that she was so pretty was part of the reason why he had not apologised, and was positively mean to her when he spoke.
"Miss! DO watch where you're going!"
Then he remembered that he was late, and rushed towards the bank, feeling positively stupid about how he had treated the pretty red-head.
***
Lily and her parents reached Gringotts soon after. It was a tall, gleaming white building, golden doors as an entrance.
As she made her way up the stone stairs she noticed that her parents, who had been standing either side of her, were no longer there. She turned to see both of them, five steps below.
"Mum? Why've you stopped?"
"Wh…what's THAT?" Mrs Evans asked anxiously.
"What?" Lily turned back towards the doors, where her parents had been staring.
There, either side of the door, were a pair of goblins. Lily knew what they were thanks to the prospectus, but evidently, her parents had not read it well enough.
Lily laughed slightly before replying. "Mum, dad, they're goblins. Magical Creatures, didn't you see them in the prospectus?"
They smiled stiffly, before following Lily through the doors, rather quickly, seemingly afraid that the goblins would do something to them if they dawdled.
They entered Gringotts and Lily and her parents made their way to a desk, where a goblin was stacking some gold coins.
"Um...hello." Lily's father said, "I was wondering if we could exchange some money..."
"Muggle money into wizarding?" The goblin enquired. His voice was slow and condescending.
"Er...yes."
"How much would you like to exchange?"
"Would five hundred be enough?" Mr Evans looked back to his wife. She nodded.
"Thanks mum and dad!" Lily exclaimed loudly.
"That's okay, love! Think of it as a birthday present. I'm so sorry we forgot." Mrs Evans said, blushing slightly.
"Mum, I don't care. Some stupid birthday card, and perhaps a cake? I...don't...care!" she laughed. "I much rather being told I'm a witch, and that I get to go to the best witches and wizards school in the world! And if you and dad hadn't said yes, then I'd still be stuck in a school I don't like, with a sister, well..." Lily decided it be best to stop there; she didn't want to upset her parents.
They smiled sweetly before returning their gaze to the goblin at the desk. He seemed to recognise their gaze.
"If you'll follow Hilbert down to the girl's vault…Hil-bert!"
Another goblin waved Lily and her parents over to him. They smiled, said a quick, 'thanks!' and walked over to the goblin named Hilbert.
"If you'll step into the cart..."
The Evans's climbed, rather nervously, into the cart. The goblin got in behind them, and set them on their way for a break-neck journey.
Lily noticed that there were no controls for the cart, and she couldn't see any way the goblin could be directing it. However, the cart seemed to know where it was going. By the time they were what seemed like hundreds of miles under London, Lily started to feel slightly ill. She had always hated rides at the fair that went very fast, and this was probably faster than any Petunia had been on.
Suddenly, they stopped to the left of a platform. They all stepped onto the platform, and the goblin called Lily forward.
"Right miss. This," he produced a small, golden key, "...is the key to this vault. Just place it in the lock there..."
Lily did as he said, and suddenly the lock melted away. The whole door melted away.
There, in front of her now, was a pile of gold, silver and bronze coins.
The goblin explained the value of each to the Evans's, before Lily took some of the money out, placed it in her purse, and they all got back in the cart for the journey back.
By the time they reached ground level, Lily felt very ill. Her usually pale skin had turned slightly green, and her stomach felt as though it had the sudden urge to rocket upwards.
***
When James reached the bank, he saw his parents searching the crowd for him. He waved frantically at them to grab thir attention. When they looked at him, they had stern looks on their faces.
"James! We told you HALF an hour! Not forty-five minutes. Where have you been?"
"Well...I got distracted. See? The Cleansweep 100 is out and I..."
"Yes, yes, we know. You HAD to find out the price of it. And then you had to go back for a second look, we KNOW James."
James smiled at his parents. They knew him way too well.
"So where we off to? Ollivanders? I want my wand!"
"I suppose that's a good place to start. Shall we set off?"
***
Lily felt better in the fresh air. Her colour returned to normal and her stomach settled quickly.
So shall we go to...Madame Malkins to get some school robes for you?" Mrs Evans asked.
"Yes. It's just up the road according to the prospectus."
They set off towards the robe shop where Lily would be measured and given a full set of Hogwarts robes.
While their daughter was being measured from head to toe, Mr and Mrs Evans decided to walk outside and check out the nearby shops. This gave Lily some much need time on her own, for the last twenty-four hours, she hadn't had much of that, apart from when she was asleep.
She was still in a daze, though a very happy daze. She wasn't able to explain to anyone how elated she felt; the emotion was too powerful to be put into words. She had just eleven days left to wait, just eleven days...
***
Ollivanders was a shop James had never visited. The peeling gold writing on the wall outside had never appealed to him, and the fact that just a single wand on a purple cushion was visible in the shop window, James thought that he wouldn't have much choice in the matter of the wand that he given. But his parents had insisted, so James, for once, listened, and entered the shop without a second thought.
A single bell sounded as he pushed open the door and stepped through the doorway.
Suddenly, James noticed that the dark shop was full of boxes, all stacked neatly on shelves, which he presumed held the wands. He smiled slightly to himself.
"Aah, James Potter! You have come for your wand, I trust?"
How did he know his name, James didn't ask, but nodded about the part about getting a wand.
"And Mrs Potter, your wand, Unicorn hair wasn't it? Nine inches? Rather sturdy if I remember?"
"Well, Mr Ollivander, I impressed."
"Remember every wand I sold ma'am. And Mr Potter here. Very long wand wasn't it? Fifteen inches, Dragon Heartstring? Exceptionally strong, good for use against dark wizards?"
"The very same." Mr Potter too, looked impressed.
"And now the son. Well, James Harry Potter, shall we begin. Let's see..."
James felt as though he had tried half the wands in the shop before Mr Ollivander picked up one from the topmost shelf.
"This one, I believe. Yes, eleven inches, mahogany, very powerful. Excellent for use in Transfiguration. The core is one of Phoenix feather."
James took it from the man, and waved it slightly. A tingling sensation rose in his arm as the wand emitted red sparks.
"Excellent! It was yours before you entered the shop James Potter, you know that?"
"Er..."
But Mr Ollivander interrupted, asked for seven galleons, which his parents gave him gratefully.
"Must be off now Mr Ollivander."
"Yes, hope I see James Potter's child soon...yes, not long..." he said, apparently to himself.
"Odd man, Mr Ollivander, isn't he?" James said to his parents as they left the shop.
"Odd, James? Of course. Odd men make the best of wizards; I thought you knew that by now. Look at your father, he's barking!" Mrs Potter said to her child, chuckling at her little joke.
***
By the time Lily had paid for her new robes, Mr and Mrs Evans had already bought her a cauldron, a set of glass phials, a telescope and a set of scales.
Her parents met her outside Madame Malkins, showing their daughter the purchases they had made on her behalf.
"Thanks mum, dad! Shall we go and get some book now?"
"I tell you what Lily. You go to Flourish and Blotts, is it? We'll be in the café down by there," they said pointedly. "Then we'll meet you outside the wand shop Ollivanders?"
"Great!" said Lily, glad of the time she could have in her own company. "See you later then!"
She made her way slowly to the bookshop, still checking her surroundings.
She entered Flourish and Blotts as the sky was darkening. She didn't realise how quickly time had passed.
The shop was bright and cheerful, and, to Lily's pleasure, full of books.
***
The Potter's felt like they had walked all day long, which indeed they had, through many different shops, but thoroughly glad that James now had everything ready for school.
"That's everything now isn't it?"
"Well, a broom would have been nice, but yeah, I guess." James said, putting on a pout.
"James, even if I was going to let you buy a broomstick, you wouldn't be able to use it. First-years-"
"Aren't allowed their own brooms, I know! It's just not fair. Besides, I could sneak one-"
"NO, James!"
***
Lily quickly collected the books on the lit and wandered around the rest of the shop, seeing a few other books she couldn't resist to pick up. 'Hogwarts: a History' would be beneficial, to give her a better understanding of the school itself, and there was a Charm book, 'Charming-The guide to Charms' also took her fancy. After paying for all of her books, she left the shop, and made her way to 'Ollivanders: Maker of Fine Wands since 382 BC'.
Her parents were nowhere to be seen yet, so she entered the shop alone, with a faint tingling of a bell sounding above her.
She shop was rather dark, and smelt slightly dusty. As she looked around, she noticed it looked rather dusty too. It was sure in need of a clean.
"Hello, dear. Miss Lily Evans you are?"
"I am. How do you-"
"Shall we begin with the wand selecting? Which hand is your and hand dear?"
"Um...my right, I guess."
Mr Ollivander clicked his fingers, and a measuring tape appeared from nowhere, and began measuring the inside of her arm, and the circumference of her head.
He snapped his fingers again, and it stopped, and disappeared from view.
"Right, dear," he said, climbing down from a ladder. "Try this wand," he produced a box from under his arm, taking the cover off himself.
She picked up the wand, and held it stiffly.
"Well? Give it a nice big wave!"
She did so, though nothing happened.
He took it from her, shaking his head, and picked a second one from his stack.
"Yes...I believe you'll have a flair for Charms. Those green eyes, so pretty," he said mysteriously, "Please try this one. Ten and a quarter inches. Willow. " He handed her another wand.
She felt the warmth rise in her arm as she waved the wand, bringing down with it, a shower of purple and silver sparks.
"WELL DONE! That was excellent! I believe Charms will indeed be your subject, girl. Yes...that's seven galleons please."
She took seven gold coins from her purse, and gave them to the man, before making her way out of the shop, seeing her parents at the window.
***
That night James thought over his day. The one thing he could remember most though, was the way he sent that girl flying. How he wanted to apologise, but it was too late.
Wait a minute! Maybe...maybe she'd be going to Hogwarts. Maybe she was already at Hogwarts. From the brief encounter with her, he couldn't even guess to what year she'd be in.
But, he found, what would matter most, was that she was there.
Or maybe that was just him wanting someone there he'd be able to talk to, even if it was just an apology.
Maybe...he wouldn't have any friends, maybe...
***
By the time Lily got home, she was exhausted, though pleased. She much wanted to curl up on the sofa, and fall asleep. But she knew that she'd have to have a bath, and get changed first.
"Mum? I'm going up okay? I'm so tired..."
"Okay, love."
Lily made her way towards the bathroom, but someone stood in her way at the top of the stairs. It was Petunia.
"Yes?" Lily asked politely.
"Can't wait for you to go, you freak! For you to leave, and leave us be a happy family, like we were, before you were born. What I wouldn't give for life to be like that now..."
"Okay," Lily said, too tired to argue. She pushed past her elder sister, and soon settled in the bath.
Just eleven more days...
***