Four
"Diagon Alley"
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. All characters are creations of Joanne K. Rowling, © 2007, to whom I am deeply indebted. I make no money from any of this. I'm just taking her world and tweaking it a bit.
Note One: I'm alive!! I am so sorry for the delay, real life and computer issues got in the way (teehee that rhymed). But things are better now and I'm back, baby! I have not abandoned this.
EDITED 06/11/2011: Just some date changes and minor edits.
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21 July, 1991
By eight o'clock the next morning, Hermione was already dressed and waiting in the living room for Professor McGonagall. She hadn't said when she would be stopping by, and Hermione didn't want to risk the chance of being caught in her pajamas when she returned. Time crept by at a snail's pace. She had tried reading, watching television, and even cleaning but it did nothing to help pass the time.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger came down at around ten, shaking their heads when they saw Hermione perched by the window. "How long have you been there?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"Since eight," Hermione replied. The street was full of the neighborhood children playing and she felt a twinge of annoyance. How was Professor McGonagall going to get there? She definitely dressed differently and would stand out in such a crowded street.
"Have you eaten?" Mrs. Granger asked. Hermione shook her head. "I'll go get you some toast." Mrs. Granger clicked her tongue and went into the kitchen, Mr. Granger following her mumbling about coffee.
A flash of green fabric down the street caught Hermione's eye. She gasped and yanked open the window, poking her head out to see if it was Professor McGonagall, but it had disappeared as soon as she tried to get a better look. Hermione sighed and slouched against the window pane, feeling panic start to set in as she watched the children play. What if the entire thing was some elaborate prank? She couldn't think of anyone would be cruel enough to do that to her (Claire wasn't smart enough to make up something that complicated) but now that she had time to think everything through, the whole idea of magic seemed to be too good to be true.
"What's taking so long?" Hermione mumbled, watching as a tabby cat marched up the street. She watched as the cat stopped in front of the house and turned to look at Hermione. Frowning, Hermione looked at the cat; something about the face looked familiar but she couldn't place where she had seen the animal before. The cat swished it's tail and made its way up the driveway and towards the window, crouching down and jumping up onto the window sill.
"H-hey!" she sputtered, springing away from the window.
The cat paused to look at Hermione and then jumped into the room, its shape starting to change form as it landed on the carpet. Hermione's jaw dropped when the cat disappeared and Professor McGonagall stood exactly where it had been. She smoothed out her robes and offered a smile to Hermione, "Good morning, Miss Granger."
"How did you…" Hermione trailed off. "You were a cat."
"I'm an Animagus," Professor McGonagall explained. She nodded as Mr. and Mrs. Granger entered the room, Mrs. Granger almost dropping the toast when she saw Professor McGonagall standing by the window. "Good morning."
"Good morning," Mrs. Granger squeaked. "I-I didn't hear the door."
"An Ani-what?" Hermione asked, ignoring her parents.
"An Animagus," she repeated. "I'm able to transform into the cat you just saw at will."
"And I can learn that at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked eagerly, all thoughts of doubt completely gone.
"Not at Hogwarts, no," Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Becoming an Animagus is a very difficult and dangerous procedure. Few people are able to successfully become an Animagus."
"Wow," Hermione breathed. If it was that hard to become an Animagus then Professor McGonagall must have been an extremely powerful witch.
"But I'm not here to discuss that," Professor McGonagall looked towards Mr. and Mrs. Granger. "I assume you have come to a decision?"
"I'm going to Hogwarts," Hermione said quickly.
Professor McGonagall had an almost amused look on her face as she turned to Hermione. "Do your parents agree with that as well?" Hermione flushed.
"Yes, we do," Mr. Granger said with some difficulty. "We were discussing it last night and …"
"I broke a glass," Hermione admitted, feeling her face heat up even more.
"It was that bit of… magic," Mrs. Granger said, having trouble with saying the word, "that made the decision, really."
Professor McGonagall broke out into a true smile. "I am quite happy to hear that," she expressed, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out another envelope and handed it to Hermione. "This is your train ticket to the Hogwarts Express. You don't have to worry about sending an owl to confirm your enrollment. I'll just inform Professor Dumbledore myself."
"And you said to get my supplies we have to go to Charing Cross Road in London?" Hermione asked, taking the envelope. Excitement started to creep up on her. She really was a witch.
"Yes. To get to Diagon Alley from muggle London you'll have to go to Charing Cross Road and enter through the Leaky Cauldron."
"But if it's been hidden from mu -non-magical people," Hermione said, catching herself as she almost said muggle, "how will we find it?"
"Well now that you know it exists, you'll be able to spot it," Professor McGonagall explained patiently. She turned to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. "There are wards to make muggles bypass it completely but once Miss Granger touches the door, you'll be able to see it as well."
"Where on the street is it?" Hermione asked.
"It's been a long time since I last used that entrance to Diagon Alley," Professor McGonagall admitted rather reluctantly. "I believe there was a bookshop next to the Leaky Cauldron, but it may have changed."
"The Leaky Cauldron?"
"The Leaky Cauldron is a pub," she said. "Talk to the innkeeper Tom and he'll help you get into Diagon Alley. I would advise you go to Gringotts first to set up an account."
"And what's Gringotts?" Hermione couldn't stop herself from asking. She bit her lip, hoping she wasn't annoying her soon-to-be teacher.
"It's our bank," she explained. If Professor McGonagall was annoyed by all the questions Hermione was asking, she did a good job hiding it. "Gringotts is a big white building down the street, it's hard to miss. They have exchange rates for muggle money so you'll be able to get some of our money to buy things. It's not necessary right now, but if you want you may choose to set a vault up. It's always handy to have money ready for you."
Mr. Granger nodded, processing all of the information. "Would it be wise to bring our youngest to Diagon Alley?" he asked.
Professor McGonagall frowned. "It's possible," she said slowly. "But not advisable. She's quite young, yes?"
"She just turned eight," Mrs. Granger confirmed, sharing a look with her husband.
"If it was me, I wouldn't bring her," Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Bringing a muggle child into Diagon Alley would not be the smartest thing to do, especially one who has no knowledge of magic. Plus there's the risk of her telling her friends."
Mr. Granger nodded. "Wait a minute," Mrs. Granger said quickly. "What are we supposed to tell the rest of our family and friends? I'm assuming that you'll want us to keep quiet about Hogwarts, but they're going to notice if Hermione is suddenly off to some school none of us have heard of."
"Usually, parents of muggleborns are entrusted to come up with a backstory," Professor McGonagall explained. "I'm assuming that Miss Granger had applied for different schools, right?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then there's nothing to worry about. The Ministry has a `school' for muggleborns to use as an excuse," Professor McGonagall stated. She smirked. "We do have a Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee, after all."
"Really?" Hermione asked, laughing at the name.
"It's not the best name for a committee, but it does its job," she stated plainly. "I'll get someone from the committee to owl you pamphlets and an acceptance letter to show as proof of Miss Granger's enrollment."
"Thank you," Hermione said. Her stomach fluttered excitedly when Professor McGonagall said `owl.'
Professor McGonagall nodded. "Now, is there anything else? I need to be going over and talking with the other child."
"Who is it?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"I'm not at liberty to tell," she said. "Anything else?"
"Is there any chance of Viola, our other daughter, being a witch?" Mrs. Granger asked, looking frightened.
"I'm afraid I can't say," Professor McGonagall began slowly. "There have been cases where muggleborn siblings both got their acceptance letters, but that's really only happened for twins. Only time will tell. She just hit that age where if she does have any magic in her, it'll start to show when her emotions get the best of her. But the chances of her being a witch are slim to none."
"Alright," Mrs. Granger said, looking relieved. Her eyes widened, "Not that I have anything against you!"
"Don't worry, I know what you meant. " Professor McGonagall smiled. "Now, if that's all, I best be going. I'll see you on September the first, Miss Granger."
Hermione watched as Professor McGonagall morphed back into the cat and jumped out the window. She disappeared behind some trees and Hermione turned to her parents. "I can't believe this is really happening," she said faintly, looking at the envelope in her hand.
"Neither can we," Mrs. Granger said shakily. Mr. Granger sat down on the couch and stared at the window, shaking his head.
"Can we go to Diagon Alley today?" Hermione asked. She only had a little under a month and a half until she'd go to Hogwarts and wanted to be as prepared as possible; she was going into the school at a disadvantage to the other students.
"I don't know, Hermione," Mr. Granger said, "It's over an hour's drive to London."
"Please?" she pouted, making her eyes go wide and jutting out her lower lip.
Mr. Granger laughed and rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine, just stop making that face," he teased.
"I'll go call mum and see if she can look after Vi," Mrs. Granger said, looking and sounding overwhelmed.
"Are we going to keep it from them too?" Mr. Granger asked as Mrs. Granger went to the phone.
"Yes, we probably should," she said, dialing. "I don't want to but…"
Hermione left her parents and ran up the stairs and into her room, letting out an excited squeal as she shut the door behind her. She hurried to her desk and pulled open a drawer, grabbing the envelope that held her allowance she had been saving for the past year. Hermione was glad her parents made her save the money instead of spending it. She didn't know, or really understand, what the exchange rate was like but hoped that she would be able to buy a few extra books with the money. Placing the envelope that held the train ticket to Hogwarts where the money had been, Hermione closed the drawer and locked it.
She set the money on her desk and went to her closet, grabbing the small purse Uncle Robert and Aunt Mary had gotten her for Christmas. She stuffed the money into it and grabbed the envelope containing the list of supplies she'd need from the nightstand by her bed, quickly double checking to make sure it was there. She placed it carefully into her purse and closed it, slinging the purse of her shoulder and exiting her room.
Viola was just heading out of her bedroom as Hermione closed her door, still in her pajamas and looking sleepy.
"What's going on?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. She caught sight of Hermione's purse and immediately went alert. "Where are you going?"
"Mum and daddy are taking me school shopping," Hermione replied slowly, unsure of how her sister would react.
"You mean Hogwarts?" Hermione nodded and Viola gasped. "I want to go!"
"You can't, Vi," Hermione said softly, feeling bad. "Professor McGonagall said it wouldn't be a good idea if you went."
"Well, I'm a witch too then," she decided, marching off down the stairs.
"Viola," Hermione sighed, following her.
Mrs. Granger hung up the phone just as the two girls entered the room. "Look who finally woke up," she said, smiling at Viola. "How would you like to spend the day with grandma and grandpa?"
"No," Viola said, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Excuse me?" Mr. Granger asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm a witch now too so I get to go shopping with you," she insisted.
"Viola," Mrs. Granger sighed, glancing at Hermione. She winced and mouthed `sorry' as her mother knelt down in front of Viola and stroked her arms. "We don't know if you're a witch or not. But as of right now, you're just Viola. So you can't come with us."
"But I want to," she whined.
"Viola," Mrs. Granger repeated sternly, "big girls don't whine."
Viola jutted out her bottom lip but kept quiet, glowering at her mother.
"How about I show you what I bought when we get back?" Hermione offered, knowing her sister's feelings were hurt. "And I'll tell you everything that happened."
"Promise?" Viola asked in a small voice.
"Promise," Hermione nodded.
"I guess that'd be okay," she agreed reluctantly.
<><><>
Hermione's grandparents arrived at the house soon after and the next thing she knew, she was in the family car and headed towards London. She fidgeted and watched the country side go by, ignoring the fact that she probably looked like Viola had when they were going to the zoo. Mr. Granger had a habit of driving a little over the speed limit but seemed to be going excruciatingly slow today. Hermione glanced at him, half-tempted to ask him to speed up. She decided against it though, not wanting to push her luck today. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he pulled into a parking spot on Charing Cross Road. Hermione quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, waiting impatiently on the sidewalk as her parents took their time.
"So what are we looking for?" Mr. Granger asked, locking the car doors.
"Professor McGonagall said that it used to be beside a bookshop," Hermione said, scanning the street for one. She saw a bookshop a little ways down the street and her heart leapt into her throat when she saw a grungy looking pub beside it. "I see it!" she squealed, earning bemused looks from people passing by as she started towards it. Mr. and Mrs. Granger weren't walking fast enough for Hermione's liking and she rolled her eyes, grabbing Mrs. Granger's hand. "Come on, come on!"
"Hermione," Mrs. Granger laughed, allowing her to pull her.
Hermione stopped in front of the pub and saw a sign above the door. With a closer look, she could see that it said `The Leaky Cauldron.' "This is it!" she exclaimed, turning around to grin at her parents. Her parents weren't looking at it, but at the record shop next to it.
"There's already a shop here," Mr. Granger pointed out.
"You don't see it?" Hermione asked.
"I see a record shop."
Remembering Professor McGonagall's words about her parents not being able to see the door, Hermione dropped her mother's hand and reached out to grasp the door handle. She grinned, hearing the startled gasps behind her.
"I don't believe it," Mrs. Granger breathed.
Hermione bit her lip and looked back, unable to keep the grin off her face as she pulled open the door and stepped inside.
The first thing that registered when Hermione entered the Leaky Cauldron was that it was extremely dark and had a musky scent to it. She blinked a couple times to adjust to the darkness as Mr. and Mrs. Granger came up behind her, ushering her farther into the pub.
"Quite dark, isn't it?" Mrs. Granger commented, looking around with wide eyes.
Hermione nodded as she looked around. There was a group of people sitting at the table near the bar, dressed almost exactly like the way Professor McGonagall had been dressed, but in different colours. A cloaked figure (Hermione couldn't tell if it was a man or woman) sat at a small table off to the side, hovering over its mug. Hermione felt her parents grip her shoulders protectively as they passed.
Up at the bar the bartender, Professor McGonagall had said his name was Tom, was wiping down the counter while talking to a slender woman in magenta robes. Hermione wasn't sure what she had been expecting when she thought of what Tom might've looked like, but she hadn't expected what she saw. Bald with a bit of a hunch, Tom looked like had no teeth and almost reminded her of Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Hermione tore her eyes away from Tom to look back at her parents. Both of them were frozen, staring around the pub with wide, almost scared eyes. She sighed, figuring she would have to do most of the talking and took a step towards the bar. However, Hermione's bravado began to waver the closer she got and, by the time she stopped in front of Tom, she was trembling.
"E-excuse me," she stammered, her nerves getting the better of her.
Tom looked away from the woman, his eyes sweeping over Hermione and then going to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. He smiled, revealing that he did, in fact, have no teeth. "Good afternoon," he said, "what can I help you with?"
"It's, um," Hermione paused, looking back at her parents. They hadn't moved from where she left them and were getting some strange looks from the table near the bar. "M-my parents are muggles, so…"
"Ah," he said, wiping his hands on the towel, "no need to explain. First time heading into Diagon Alley?"
"Yes, sir," she replied, gaining courage. She watched as he went around the counter and stopped in front of her. Hermione held out her hand and was proud to see that it wasn't shaking. "I'm Hermione Granger."
"It's a pleasure, Miss Granger," he grasped her hand and shook it. "Just call me Tom." He glanced up at her parents, then back to her and gave her a gummy smile. "Just follow me, I'll show you how to get into Diagon Alley."
He motioned for her to follow him and began walking across the bar. Hermione glanced back at her parents, who were still looking around. "Come on," she hissed. They snapped out of whatever trance they were in and followed Hermione closely as she exited through the door she saw Tom go out of.
Tom was waiting for them out in a small, walled courtyard. "Behind here is Diagon Alley," Tom explained, taking his wand out from the pocket of his apron. "You'll want to remember this for when you get your own wand." Hermione nodded and watched as he tapped a brick three times with his wand. Hermione quickly counted what brick it was and made a mental note to remember it.
Tom stood back as the brick he touched with his wand quivered and started to shift. A small hole appeared and grew bigger and bigger until the brick wall turned into a large archway. Hermione gasped as she saw the cobblestone street in front of her. People rushed by, going in and out of different shops, and just carrying on with their lives. "Welcome to Diagon Alley," Tom said with another gummy smile. "I'll be seeing you later, Miss Granger."
Hermione took a shaky step through the archway, feeling her parents stay close behind her. She stopped and turned around to thank Tom but the archway had disappeared and the brick wall was back in place. She turned back and looked around her. A stack of cauldrons glinted in the sunlight off to her right and a woman was arguing with her son over which one to purchase.
"Professor McGonagall said that Gringotts was down the street," Mr. Granger said, his voice wavering.
Hermione nodded and began walking down the street slowly, examining all the different shops. She felt like it was sensory overload. She wanted to see everything at once and knew she looked like a fool whipping her head around to look all the different shops and stands. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. written in peeling gold letters as they passed the old looking shop. Hermione sped up down the street, wanting to hurry and get some money so she could start buying her supplies.
"Let's not rush things," Mrs. Granger whispered, looking terrified as they passed the Apothecary.
"But mum," she protested, "we need to go get the money so we can buy my supplies."
"Hermione, this may have clicked into place for you," Mr. Granger murmured, watching with wide eyes as two boys around Viola's age chased each other with what looked like large, fake wands, "but we are still having a hard time adjusting."
"Sorry," Hermione said, slowing down. She had to remember that her parents just hadn't accepted the fact that she was a witch so easily. They continued walking at a slower pace and, as the street curved, a large white building came into view.
"That must be Gringotts," Mrs. Granger breathed. Hermione gasped, seeing the doorman. He was about a foot shorter than her with a slanted forehead and long, pointy nose. His long, thin fingers were stroking a gold pocket watch as he examined the people passing by.
"Let's go," Mr. Granger said, looking warily at the small man. Hermione took a deep breath and started walking towards the door.
As she got close, the little man looked up to them. "Muggleborn?" he asked in a grumbly voice.
"Erm, yes," Hermione squeaked.
"For creating an account it's your first door on your left," he instructed, pulling the door open for them.
"Thank you," Hermione said, stepping into the building. She frowned when she looked up to see another pair of silver doors in front of them and two more of the small men. She looked closer to see an inscription engraved on the door and read it, shivering at the threat.
Mr. Granger whistled softly after he read it too. The two men bowed as they walked through the set of doors into the main room. The room was filled with small men on stools behind a very long counter, all of them quite busy helping customers, weighing what looked to be gold on brass scales, and examining different jewels and gems. Hermione drew her eyes away from them to look for the door the man had told them to go through. Sure enough, the first door on the left had a big sign that read `Starter Accounts'.
"This way," Hermione instructed, heading towards the door. Mr. and Mrs. Granger hurried behind her, their eyes wide as they took in the room.
Hermione pushed open the door and walked into a smaller room. Instead of the small men they had seen out in the bigger room, normal sized people were sitting behind desks. A plump looking woman looked up as they stepped further into the room and smiled at them. "Bit of a shock walking through the main branch, isn't it?" she asked.
"You could say that," Mr. Granger said, laughing nervously.
The woman stood up and motioned to the chairs in front of her desk. "I know I was frightened of the goblins when I first visited Gringotts."
"Those were goblins?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide.
"Gringotts is practically run by them," she said as Hermione and her parents sat down. She sat down as well and placed her hands on the desk. "There are some humans like me who work here, but they are mainly in this area to help ease muggleborns into wizarding money and finances."
"That makes sense," Mrs. Granger said, nodding slowly. "I honestly don't think I could've handled talking to a goblin."
The woman laughed. "A lot of muggles can't," she said. "So let's get started shall we? I'm Amelia Anadon and I'll be helping you through all of this."
"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione announced, "and these are my parents David and Jane."
"It's nice to meet you," Amelia said. She reached into a drawer and pulled out a small stack of papers. She flicked through them and pulled out a few pages, handing them over to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. She picked up a quill and placed it on top of the papers, also placing a bottle of ink by them. "I just have to ask you to go over some of the paperwork and sign."
Hermione watched as Mr. Granger picked up the first paper and began looking it over, Mrs. Granger resting on his shoulder to read as well.
Amelia turned to Hermione, "So when did you get your letter?"
"I got it yesterday," Hermione replied. "Is mail always delivered by owl?"
"Yes is it," Amelia nodded. "Owls are extremely smart and reliable. Bet it gave you a scare, though."
"I thought it was going to attack me," she admitted sheepishly.
"They can be intense," Amelia leaned back in her chair. "Is McGonagall still going around to the muggleborns explaining everything?"
"You know Professor McGonagall?"
"Of course I do," she laughed. "McGonagall came to my house the day I got my letter."
"You went to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, straightening up in her chair.
"Sure did. Everyone goes to Hogwarts. I graduated from Hufflepuff right around the time You-Know-Who disappeared."
"Who's You-Know-Who?" Hermione asked. She saw a flash of panic go across Amelia's face.
"I keep forgetting muggleborns don't know about that," she said nervously. "You-Know-Who was a dark wizard who was raising an army to fight against… well, you'll find out soon enough. I don't want to depress you with the details on your big day shopping at Diagon Alley."
"Oh, okay." Hermione said, slightly disappointed. She could tell that Amelia was extremely uncomfortable with the subject so she didn't push what he was raising an army for, but couldn't stop from asking another question. "Why do you call him You-Know-Who?"
"Everyone's too scared to call him by his name," she said quietly, leaning towards Hermione. Hermione leaned in as well, glancing at Mr. and Mrs. Granger. They were talking quietly to each other as they went over the papers and not paying attention to Hermione and Amelia's conversation. "That's how evil a wizard he was. You're going to find out real quick that people don't like to talk about him, because none of us really know what happened to him."
"So he just vanished?"
"Seems that way," Amelia said, shrugging. "All we know is that in October of 1981 You-Know-Who went to the Potter's house. He killed James Potter and his wife Lily, but when he went to go kill their son, he couldn't."
"What do you mean he couldn't?" Hermione asked, leaning forward even more.
"He just couldn't. I don't want to scare you but when you're hit with the killing curse, that's it - you're dead. But Harry survived. And the kicker, he was only one!" Hermione felt her eyes widen and Amelia nodded. "Amazing isn't it? After he tried and failed at killing Harry, he was never seen or heard from again. Some say he died, some say he's just waiting until he gets his powers back. But who knows."
"Wow," Hermione whispered. An awkward silence followed and she cleared her throat. "So, uh, what's Huffle…uh…?"
"Hufflepuff?" Hermione nodded. "Hufflepuff is one of the four houses that you could be sorted into at Hogwarts. There's Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin."
"How do you get sorted into a house?"
Amelia grinned cheekily. "It'd spoil the surprise if I told you, wouldn't it? Don't worry, it's not bad," she reassured. "Some of the older students may try to scare you on the train to Hogwarts, but don't listen to them."
"Finished," Mr. Granger said, putting down the papers.
Amelia straightened up and gathered them. "Everything seems to be in order," she said as the papers disappeared. They jumped and she grinned. "You'll be used to that in no time, Hermione." A moment later two envelopes appeared on her desk. She picked them up and peeked inside.
"This," Amelia held up the first envelope that had appeared, "is information about our money. We have Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Like muggle money, there are different ways of making up Galleons and Sickles and that is all explained in here. As for the exchange rate, one pound is equivalent to three Sickles and eleven Knuts. Five pounds is equivalent to one Galleon and so on. So if you are not sure on how much money to exchange, just think in fives."
"How much do you suggest we take for today?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"It really depends on what kind of quality you want. Usually I would suggest taking out around twenty to twenty five Galleons. It is a little steep, but things add up. The wand is the expensive piece."
Hermione reached into her purse and pulled her money out. As she held it out to Amelia, Mr. Granger put his hand on her wrist and pushed her arm down. "I got it, Hermione," he said.
"This will be for extra books," Hermione explained. "I have to get more if I want to be prepared when I go to Hogwarts."
"Only use half," he warned. "Save the rest of it."
"But-" she protested.
"Half," he repeated sternly, cutting her off.
"Fine," she grumbled, reaching into the envelope and grabbing half of the amount. She handed it to Amelia, who had an amused smile.
Mr. Granger pulled out his wallet and handed Amelia the rest of the money. She counted it and it disappeared, a pouch reappearing where the money had been. She took out a gold, silver, and copper coin. "Gold is Galleon, silver is Sickle, and copper is Knut." She dropped the coins back into the pouch, tightened the string around it and handed it to Hermione. She took it and grinned, enjoying the feel of the weight in her hand.
"Second envelope," Amelia said, holding it up, "holds your vault key. You are not going to want to lose this because if you do, you're going to have a hard time getting another. Anytime you want to get money out of your vault, just show it to a goblin and they'll take you to it." She handed the envelope to Mrs. Granger who put it cautiously in her purse.
Hermione put the rest of her money into her vault, along with some extra money that Mr. Granger pitched in. Amelia stood up and shook their hands. "It was a pleasure to meet you," she said. "Good luck and have fun at Hogwarts."
Hermione left the room, resisting the urge to bolt out of Gringotts and to the shops. She pulled out the list of things she needed and examined it as Mr. and Mrs. Granger led her out of the bank. Once outside, they stopped and looked over the list.
"I want to get my wand first," Hermione said excitedly. They walked down the street where Hermione had seen Ollivanders.
"This is the wand place?" Mr. Granger asked, glancing at the extremely dirty windows.
"Guess so," Hermione said, pushing the door open. A bell jingled from somewhere in the shop as they stepped in. It was an extremely small shop with only a chair in the corner, which Mrs. Granger went to go sit on. Hermione looked around at the thousands of small narrow boxes piled up wherever there was shelf space. She licked her lips, almost afraid to call out. It was too quiet.
"Good afternoon," a soft voice said.
Hermione squeaked and jumped, clutching her chest as her heart raced. An old man with pale eyes walked around one of the shelves and stared at Hermione. "Uh, hello," she gasped.
"Oh, my, my," he said, coming up to Hermione and examining her. "Muggleborn, am I correct?"
"Y-yes, sir," Hermione said, leaning away as he leaned closer to her.
"And what is your name?"
"Hermione Granger."
"Well, Miss Granger, I always enjoy finding a wand for muggleborns," he stated, still peering at her. She twitched, feeling creeped out by his gaze. "It's always exciting to be a part of the start of their journey. Now, which is your wand hand?"
"My wand hand?" Hermione asked. "I'm right handed, if that's what you meant."
"Hold out your arm, please," he said. Hermione did so and he brought out a measuring tape and began to measure her arm in different places. "No two wands are the same, Miss Granger. Although wand cores may come from the same animal or from the same tree, they always have slight differences that make them unique."
Mr. Ollivander walked away and began looking at some boxes. He grabbed one and opened it, pulling a wand out and handing it to Hermione. "Nine and a half inches, phoenix feather, and oak. Nice and bendy."
"What do I do?" Hermione asked, feeling foolish.
"Give it a wave and see what happens."
Hermione glanced at her parents and raised the wand, only to have Mr. Ollivander snatch it out of her grip and replace it with another. "Ten and three-quarter inches, vine, and made with dragon heartstring. Great for transfiguration," he said, standing back to watch her.
As soon as Hermione's hand clasped around the wand, she felt warmth tingle through her. Raising her hand up, she brought down the wand and was amazed to see red and gold sparks spark out the end of her wand. Mr. Ollivander was grinning as he took it from her and put it back in the box. "Very good, very good," he said. "Congratulations."
"Wow." Hermione stared at her hand, still feeling tingly all over.
"That will be seven Galleons, Miss Granger," Mr. Ollivander said. She reached for the pouch and counted out seven of the gold coins, handing it to him. He put the box into a bag and held it out to her. "Just a reminder, Miss Granger, now that you have a wand you are not allowed to use it until you get to Hogwarts. Any use of magic outside of Hogwarts will result in expulsion."
Hermione nodded, quite disappointed that she wouldn't be able to try anything for a month. The tingling had vanished and she wanted to feel that sensation again.
"That was amazing, Hermione," Mrs. Granger gushed as they left.
"It felt amazing," she sighed, smiling. She pulled out her list and looked at it. "I guess we should get my uniform next?"
After a bit of searching, Hermione spotted Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and dragged her parents in the store. A squat looking witch dressed entirely in purple looked up and smiled at Hermione as they entered. "Hogwarts, dear?" she asked. Hermione nodded and was taken to a stool placed in front of a three way mirror. The witch slipped a long black robe over Hermione's head and began pinning it to the right length.
"We'll just get these robes fitted for you and then I'll get you the blouse and skirt," she explained.
"Skirt?" Hermione sighed. She hated wearing skirts and dresses. "Can't I just get a trouser or something?"
The witch laughed. "No, sorry dear."
Hermione huffed and stared at her reflection as the witch finished up hemming the robe. She pulled the robe off of Hermione and led her to the change room, handing her a skirt and blouse. After making sure everything fit properly, Hermione paid for the uniform sets and exited the shop.
She glanced around the street, unsure of where to go next. A small display of books outside of a shop called Flourish and Blotts caught Hermione's attention and she gasped. "Books, mum!" she squealed, pointing. She heard her parents laugh as she took off to the shop.
Hermione pulled out her list and quickly found all the books that she was supposed to have and then started browsing on her own. She was in heaven, books were stored floor to ceiling and there were so many sections that Hermione didn't know where to begin. She grabbed a few history books and was trying to reach Hogwarts, A History, which was on a shelf that was just out of her reach, when Mr. Granger came up from behind.
"You've been in here long enough," he said, sounding amused.
"Daddy," she protested.
"You still have other things to get, don't go spending all of your money on books," he scolded, reaching up and grabbing the book. "Let's go pay for these and if we have time after we're done getting the rest of your school supplies, we'll come back."
Hermione let her father take the books from her arms and watched him go pay for them; she had given him her pouch of money before they entered the shop. Biting her lip, Hermione debated whether or not she should go with him but decided against it and went back to looking at the different books.
"Hermione," Mrs. Granger laughed, grabbing her arm. She nearly had to pull Hermione away from the shelf and out of the shop. As they passed Mr. Granger, she shook her head. "I'll be waiting outside with her."
After buying the rest of Hermione's school supplies, they found a luggage shop and ended up buying a trunk for Hermione to put everything into. By the time they were done, it was nearing dinner time and they still had an hour's drive to get back home. Hermione pouted, trailing behind her parents as they put everything into the car. She was sad that she didn't get to go back to Flourish and Blotts and knew that they wouldn't be going back to Diagon Alley for the rest of the summer.
"I'm sure there's a library at the school that has the same books," Mrs. Granger reassured as they all got into the car.
"I guess so," Hermione said quietly. She clutched Hogwarts, A History to her chest as Mr. Granger pulled out onto the street.
"Well, that was an experience," he said after a while.
"I know," Hermione said, grinning. "I can't wait for Hogwarts." She opened the large book and started to read as Mr. Granger sped off towards Oxfordshire.
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End Notes: Diagon Alley was SO much fun to write. I researched the whole financial thing and hopefully it's believable for everyone. Next chapter you'll get to meet some of your favourite characters!
Next chapter will most likely be up next week, but that's tentative. I'm starting to get busy and don't have as much time for writing as I did.
Read and Review!
Kelci
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