Diagon Alley Part 1

Wandering through London with Hagrid is a relaxing experience. He is so huge that he parts the crowd easily. All Harry and I have to do is keep close behind him. Harry looks at all the shops as if he is expecting to see a shop for brooms and owls next to a McDonalds.
"Hagrid" I say to the giant as Harry keeps looking around with curiosity.
Hagrid looks down on me.
"Who was that lady?" I ask. "Who will you pick up next Wednesday?"
Hagrid shrugs. "She told me abou' a seller who might have a dragon fer me. She's an old acquaintance, Ophelia."
"A dragon?" Harry shouts amazed. "Dragons are real?"
Hagrid nods, "always wanted one. Wonderous misunderstood beasts."
Harry looks at me wide eyed "Did you know?"
I laugh "Had my suspicions. Is it true there's dragons at Gringotts?" I ask Hagrid.
"They say they're guarding the vaults." He confirms.
"What's Gringotts?" asks Harry.
"Wizard's bank and our first stop."replies Hagrid.
"Wizards have banks?"
"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by Goblins."
Harry's Jaw drops "Goblins?"
"Yeah, so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, kids. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe, 'cept maybe Hogwarts. makes me remember, i have ter visit fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business."
"Talking about banks Hagrid I haven't got any money. How am I supposed to afford all of those things?" He flashes the list.
"Don't worry about hat. D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything? tha''s why we've gotta go ter Gringotts." Hagrid explains to Harry.
Jealousy cramps up inside of me. Why haven't I got a secret vault my parents left a fortune in for me?
"This is it." says Hagrid, interrupting my glooming thoughts as we stop, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."
The Leaky Cauldron is a tiny pub. Harry and I both seem to notice that nobody seems to notice the pub except for us three. I follow them as Hagrid steers Harry inside. It is dark and shabby. There's a few people in the pub, all rather peculiar looking, doing peculiar looking things.
We finally stepped foot into the actual wizarding world. No more muggles. Once Hagrid closes the door behind us all the chatter in the bar has stopped and everybody stares at us.
I pat Harry on the shoulder "Good luck" I whisper and wander of to the side.
"The usual, Hagrid?" asks the bartender reaching for a glass.
"Can't Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business." Harry claps his hand on Harry's shoulder and then the madness slowly unfolds.
The bartender peers at Harry "Good Lord... is this? Can this be Bless my soul. Harry Potter... what an honour." with these words he first silenced the pub completely and then all hell breaks lose as everybody rushes towards Harry crowding him closely.
I lean against the wall behind me as I wait for Harry to be released from the hands reaching out to shake his from every direction. I am impressed by how he doesn't break down from the anxiety of being trapped in this claustrophobic mess but he handles it well, staying polite as he greets everybody.
I hear a loud cry "He remembers! Did you hear that? He remembers me!" the man speaking looks around proudly and with excitement.
It's a circus.
I stare at my shoes waiting for all of this to blow over as I suddenly get a sense of danger. I look up and watch a pale, young man with a turban wrapped around his head approach Harry.
I push myself from the wall and walk over to Harry. The man seems nervous, one of his eyes is twitching.
"Professor Quirrell!" says Hagrid. "Kids-" he looks at both of us "Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
I feel sick.
"P-P-Potter" stammers the man.
No, no, no. I don't trust him.
He grabs Harry's hand "C-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you." before he can continue I slap his hand away from Harry's
"That is quite enough, Professor." I give him a dangerous, I will kill you if I have to, look, and for a second he flashes it back at me.
He scares the living hell out of me but I try my hardest to not show it, clenching my jaw and raising my head, staring him directly in the eyes.
He lets out a fake nervous giggle and Hagrid grabs be by the shoulders pulling me back "Wha' has gotten inter yeh? Don' be rude."
I look down on my feet "Sorry" I murmur and wander back to the wall. Harry gives me a confused look but then turns back to the Professor to talk to him.
Suddenly I am in an almost empty chamber. In it a large mirror, Harry, and Quirrell. Harry looks pretty roughed up. They're talking, Quirrell's stutter is gone and he looks confident and dangerous. Harry seems trapped, something is wrapped around his ankles. I can't really understand what they are talking about but I watch as Quirrell unwraps his head from the turban. I hear a voice, deep inside my soul, it feels like sharp glass cutting through my body.
"Let me speak to him face-to-face." then I am back at the Leaky Cauldron, my body dropped to the flame, one of my hands clinging to the wall, me whimpering in pain.
Hagrid and Harry run towards me as I pant heavily half lying on the floor.
"Merlin's beard, are yeh alright?" I am paralyzed with fear unable to speak and my insides still burning. It reminds me of the vision I had on my first day, of the green and red light and the terrible feeling of unease.
I take a few more deep breaths as I stare at Quirrell who is shuffling through the masses approaching us to escape. I haven't been smart. Shouldn't have been rude. Shouldn't have let him know I don't trust him. Fuck.
Once I had recovered from the vision and Harry had finally gotten rid of the crowd Hagrid led us out of the bar into a small courtyard.
"Your eyes they turned white" Harry notices "When you fell, I mean."
I nod. "Yeah, that happens sometimes. Part of the thing I didn't want to tell you about."
Hagrid turns around to us grinning at Harry "Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous." then he looks at me with a little more worry in his expression "Did yeh have one o' those visions? The ones yeh told me abou'?"
I nod
"Visions?" Harry asks "You get Visions?"
"Kind of" I whisper.
"Wha' did it have ter do with professor Quirrell?"
I shake my head "Can't tell you. But-" I turn to Harry "Be careful around him."
Hagrid laughs "Around Quirrell? Poor bloke's always trembin', always nervous. Brilliant mind. He was fine studyin' outta books-" he begins explaining to us "but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag, never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject, definitely not dangerous."
I am too tired to argue and I know it wouldn't do anything good so I simply shrug "Okay." that reaction seems to surprise Hagrid, considering it's pretty simple compared to what had just had happened but he decides to let it rest as well "Alright then. Now where's my umbrella?"
He starts counting the bricks in a wall above a trashcan.
"Vampires?" Harry whispers to me in disbelief "Did you know there were vampires?"
"Harry, as far as I know we should probably become accustomed to the idea of everything being real. Vampires, werewolves, mermaids, fairies"
he looks excited "Bloody brilliant."
"Yeah brilliant." I say slowly zoning out. The second I said the word mermaids one of the most exciting pictures flashed through my mind. A big dungeon-like room, with a few desks, big low backed black and dark green button-tufted leather sofas, greenish lamps and chairs, a green fire crackling in a fireplace. The room appears to be under a lake, through the windows I can see into the lake and I am convinced to see a human like figure with a tale swimming by in the distance. The lake gives the light in the room a green tinge. The room has lots of low backed black and dark green button-tufted, skulls; and dark wood cupboards. It is rather quiet, with only the sound of water lapping against the wall, the fire, and some quiet singing from far away. I never felt so comfortable, so safe, so... at home. It appears to be a Slytherin room in Hogwarts. The Slytherin common room. I want to go there.
"Your eyes are white again." Harry snaps me back into existence.
"Another thing you might have to get used to, I'm afraid." the words sound harsher then I intended so I smirk at him.
The sound of Hagrid tapping the brick wall three times with the point of his umbrella makes us focus again. The brick he touched begins to shake a little and then, right there in the middle a small hole appears, growing wider and wider. A second we are faced by a large archway, leading to a long twisting and turning street.
"Welcome," says Hagrid "to Diagon Alley." He gins at Harry's excitement and usually so would I, but even I am baffled by what I'm looking at.
I knew it would be incredible but the feeling is overwhelming. I can feel my heart beating fast with excitement, and my eyes filling with tears of joy. I am finally here. Finally the real actual Diagon Alley.
I'm gonna go buy my second hand equipment and then Harry and I are going to get on the Hogwarts express and we're going to drive all the way to my home for the next years.
I'm going to learn magic, and potions and the history of it all, make amazing friends, live through incredible adventures. Never again homeless. Never again without family. I am home.
As we step through the archway it begins closing again and we are left looking at the same solid wall as if the archway had never existed.
The first thing catching our attention is a well lit stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Hagrid notices us eyeing the cauldron shop
"Yeah, you'll be needin' one. But we gotta get yer money first." tough one.
I frown. As we walk up the street Harry keeps spinning his head around , looking at everything we walk past. I do the same but I focus only on the people passing by, expecting some new visions.
We walk past a group of boys in about our age with their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it "Look, the new Nimbus Two Thousand. fastest ever."
I see Harry falling out of the sky, as they mention the broom.
After that looking down the Alley I spot a familiar face just as it's disappearing around a corner. A pale girl with straggly, waist-length dirty-blond hair and a dazed look on her face.
We walk past a bunch of different shops offering everything we'd need at Hogwarts at full prize. Should've stolen more money from passing muggles when I had the chance.
"Gringotts" says Hagrid as we reach a white tall building.
Next to the bronze doors, wearing a scarlet and gold uniform stands a goblin.
"Yeah, that's a goblin," says Hagrid quietly to Harry as we walk up the stairs towards the short, clever looking, bearded guy. He bows as we walk past him. We face a second pair of doors, silver this time with words engraved upon them:
Enter stranger, but take head
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
Fot those who take, but do not earn,
So if you seek beneath the floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
I hope their no stealing policy only applies to the bank and not pickpocketed muggle money. The idea of being burned to crisps for like fifty galleons makes me rather uncomfortable.
As we walk through the silver doors another two Goblins bow at us. We arrive in a grand hall with at least a hundred more Goblins working behind a long counter.
"Yeh go an' convert your muggle money. I take harry ter his vault." Hagrid says to me.
I nod and before I can ask him how to do that he approaches a free goblin. They talk for a few beats and then walk off.
I go and approach another Goblin. "Erm... hi?" I say to the mean looking creature.
"What do you need?"
I fiddle the money out of my money. "Could you... convert this to galleons?"My voice is squeaky and shaky. I hate talking to strangers.
He takes the money and counts it "£167 that's exactly 55 Galleons 7 Sickles 3 Knuts." he nods and just keeps nodding as he fiddles behind the counter.
After a while he hands me back a little bag filled with coins. Then he signs me to leave with a flick of his long thing hand.
"Thank you, sir... good day, sir." I say, my voice still shaking a little.
I wait calmly for Harry and Hagrid to return while studying the goblins closely. I had a short vision of Harry, Hermione in an odd dress and Ron running from a dragon, then flying it and also Harry drowning, literally drowning, in gold but I decided to not question it further.
They were all a whole lot older in that vision, as old as Hermione was in my vision of her obliviating her parents, so I figure I've got some time left to get more context on the dragon thing.
Harry an Hagrid finally return. Harry seems a little overwhelmed, a little green in the face but most of all very excited over finally having money. His own money.
Eager to go buy everything he runs towards me "It was crazy, you missed out the craziest thing ever, there was a dragon I think, and this wild ride, and look-" he shakes the bag of money he's holding "more than Dudley ever had it's crazy"
I smile "That's great."
"Did yeh get it all converted?" Hagrid asks me.
I nod shaking the small bag "55 Galleons, as you said."
"Fifty-five?" Harry asks "There's no way that's enough, is it?"
I shrug "Gonna get it second hand."
Harry frowns "No way. Let me help you!"
He's adorable. Finally not poor anymore and his first instinct is to share it but I shake my head
"I am not a charity case. It'll be fine."
"It's not charity." Harry's frown grows bigger "We are friends. I insist."
"Harry, it's fine."
"Hagrid," he says, ignoring me "here this is my helping children donation. Give it to someone less fortunate." He makes a head movement towards me as he hands Hagrid a handful of gold coins.
Hagrid laughs, taking the coins and putting them in one of his pockets. " Alright then, kids. Let's go an' get yeh your uniforms."
Now I am the one frowning "I don't need charity."
Harry just rolls his eyes as we leave the bank. We enter a store called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions
"Listen kids, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a quick pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts."
we both nod
"An' yeh make sure tha' stubborn kid gets all she needs, alright harry? Yeh're a good kid." he says to Harry.
Harry grins and nods. Hagrid, still green in the face leaves us to ourselves and we enter Madam Malkin's shop.
Madam Malkin is a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve. "Hogwarts, my dears?" she asks us.
As we both nod she continues "Got the lot here, another young man being fitted up just now, in fact." my heart skips a beat.
It's him. Draco Malfoy. The one I blame for even being here in the first place. He's the reason for me being here. The visions of silvery white hair. I'm going to meet him. Now! I turn to a mirror and try my hardest to straighten my clothes and fix my hair. Draco, I am so excited to meet you.
We go to the back of the shop and there he is. The boy with a pale pointed face, white slick back hair, standing on a footstool with a second witch pinning up his long black robes. "Which one of you wants to go first?" Madam Malkin asks Harry and I.
I give Harry a pat on the shoulder and stand back as Malkin stands Harry on the stool next to Draco, slips a long robe over his head and begins to pin it to the right length.
I take a few steps backwards. Draco doesn't pay attention to me so I unapologetically stare as he begins talking to Harry. His ice grey eyes are now fixed on him.
"Hello. Hogwarts, too?" he asks Harry. He seems so sweet.
"Yes." Harry answers.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking for wands." His voice is rather bored and drawling. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look a t racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
What? He sounds unpleasantly spoiled. Harry seems to notice that too as he flashes me a rather disgusted look. But there's no way. It probably just came out wrong. I know that Draco is great. He has to be I can feel it.
"Have you got a broom?" Draco asks Harry.
"No."
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No." Harry says, looking confused. He probably doesn't know what Quidditch is.
Draco finally seems to notice my presence. "What about you?"
I shake my head "But I think I'll try out for the team as soon as I can" I reply.
He raises his eyebrows "I'll be a seeker. I am destined to be one. And it brings the most glory."
"Wouldn't wanna get in your way." I reply.
"Smart decision. I play all the time. Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree."
Why does he have to boast so much...
"Know what house you'll be in yet?"
Harry shakes his head "No."
Draco looks a me "You?"
"I'm thinking Slytherin." I reply.
Draco smiles. "We'll be in the same house then. I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been. Imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
I frown a little. As far as I know Hufflepuffs are rather kind. Plus there's this Hufflepuff boy I've been seeing in my visions. He seemed nice.
Harry lets out a quiet "Mmm" but I just stare at Draco
"What would be so bad about being a Hufflepuff?"
Draco raises his eyebrows again "It's arguably the worst house. A bunch of dumb losers. You don't want to be associated with that." He says smugly to Harry and me.
Draco looks past me out of the window "Look at that man!" he says.
Harry and I look to see Hagrid standing outside holding three ice creams and grinning at us. "That's Hagrid" Harry says, his voice now a little more enthusiastic.
"Yeah, he works at Hogwarts." I explain.
"Oh. I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?" Draco asks.
"He's the gatekeeper." Harry and I say at the same time with the same slightly turned off tone.
I have never been so disappointed. I had put all my hope in this boy, thinking he would be my answer, thinking he would be this amazing person but so far I really, and I mean really, don't fucking like him.
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage," shut up "lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed." shut up.
"I think he's brilliant." says Harry coldly.
I nod "Me too."
"Do you."says Draco "Why is he here with you? Where are your parents?"
"They're dead." Harry says shortly.
"Same" I add.
"Oh, sorry." says Draco , sounding not sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"
I let out a snigger and get up. There's no way I'm spending one more minute in the same room with this blood-nazi.
"What's your problem?" Draco asks, visibly confused at my reaction. "Are you... muggleborn?" he asks pulling his face into a disgusted frown.
"I wouldn't know how that's any of your business." I snap at him.
"Well. If you are I have to know. There's no way we are going to allow a mudblood like you in the Slytherin house, and definitely not the house team."
"Oh don't you dare to call me a mudblood you little twat." I step closer to him. He wants to reply but Madam Malkin continues the argument
"That's you done, my dear." she says to Harry and signals me to step up next.
"You can go to Hagrid." I say to him after he looks at me desperate about the idea to spend another moment with the blonde prick.
He smiles apologetically. Him and Madam Malkin head off to the counter at the entrance for him to pay.
"You don't get to call me a twat." Draco snarls at me "Trust me, my father will hear about this."
"Is that a threat?" I ask my tone dangerous.
"It is. You and your little mudblood friend will pay for this."
I laugh "God you take so much pride in being a pure blood, don't you."
"Obviously. You two are unexperienced scum. You shouldn't even be allowed at Hogwarts. Nothing but a danger to actual wizards."
I laugh again. "Dear god, you have no idea who you were just talking to, do you?"
He raises his eyebrows "Who?"
"Harry Potter." I say calmly.
He tilts his head "You're telling me that kid with no idea what we were talking about is the famous Harry Potter?"
"Crazy hm? Both his parents are wizards and somehow he knows just as little about the wizarding world as any muggle. And somehow still managed to defeat you know who, something you or you father would never be capable of."
Draco looks defeated for a second "And what are you?"
I clench my jaw. "Still none of your business."
He roles his eyes. "Just admit you're muggleborn."
I want to disagree and call myself a pure blood, because even though I hate this kid I still feel it's important for us to be at good terms but I remember that I told Hermione I was muggleborn and I don't want different stories circulating, making me look like a liar.
I smile provocatively " you got me. I'm a filthy little mudblood." I spit the word mudblood out just like he did before.
He looks disgusted. "There's no way we're going to accept you in Slytherin. I will tell my father to have you expelled if you are actually sorted with us."
I hadn't even noticed that Madam Malkin had put a robe over me and started to adjust it but I can hear her let out an angry and annoyed breath.
I hope Draco didn't hear it before he gets her business destroyed by his father but luckily he's still focused on me.
I stare right back into his ice grey eyes. "You will regret this." I whisper focussing my eyes on turning white "You will become a death eater because of your pure blood supremacist ways. But you will fail miserably at one of Voldemorts tasks and he will cast the killing curse on you, Lucius and Narcissa. And just like that your entire family of pure blood heritage will disappear forever." I let out a fake gasp as I let my eyes turn back to blue.
Draco looks mortified. The two witches don't even look up from our robes, assuring me I had been quiet enough for only Draco to hear.
"W-what was that?" he points his finger at my eyes. His voice high and trembling
"What was what?" I play it dumb
"What was that? What you said, what happend to your eyes? What was that?"
I shrug "What did I say?"
"You said... his name. You said he's going to kill me and my family."
"Did I really?" he looks frightened "I have no control over this, sorry. I'm sort of a medium. Like... an oracle. I carry prophecies, only to be heard by the ones they affect."
He still looks scared "You're lying." he claims.
I shake my head. "Sadly not. It's a curse. whenever somebody is about to die this happens. Makes me quite unpopular."
"You're done too now." says the other witch coldly to Draco. He hops of the footstool visibly relieved to get away from me, trembling slightly as he shuffles away.
I smile to myself.
"What did you say to him?" asks Madam Malkin once Draco is gone.
"Messed with him a little." I laugh.
"He doesn't seem very nice." she smiles softly.
"No... he really isn't. But I blame the kid's parents. He's a smart child. Better parents and I suppose he could've turned out great." ah fuck this shit. Is that what I have to do? Make him less disgusting in order for him to be less miserable?
Madam Malkin finishes my robe in silence and as I reach into my pocket to pay she smiles "Your friend payed for both of you. You're good to go." I smile at her as I leave the store.
"Ah finally." Hagrid greets me "I heard yeh had an encounter with one o' those pure blood fanatics," He hands me one of the ice creams.
"Thanks" I say quietly.
"That boy was awful." says Harry. "Do you know who that was?"
"Why would you think so?"
"You seem to know everything."
I laugh and try the ice cream. It's delicious.
"That was Draco Malfoy. Son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."
Hagrid seems familiar "Unpleasant people, the Malfoys."
I nod "I think I got him to shut up for a while though."
"What did you do?" Hagrid asks concerned.
"Scared him a bit, that's all."
"How?" Harry's eyes glisten with amusement.
I let out a deep breath. "So I discovered this in the hotel," I begin and stare directly first at Harry then Hagrid. Then I concentrate on changing my eye colour a few times. "I don't know how or why it works. But I made them white, like when I see things, and told him he was in danger."
Harry laughs "Nice one!"
"Haven, Yeh shouldn' be messing with the Malfoys. They're really powerful."
I nod "I know. But he called me a mudblood. I just wanted him to shut up."
"What's a mudblood? Wanted to ask it before but I already felt kind of stupid."
"Mudblood is an insult for muggleborns. Saying our blood isn't clean, because we don't originate from wizards like the pure bloods do." I explain. "It's kind of like... when you call a person of colour the n- word. Of course not half as bad but it's supposed to be just as insulting and degrading..."
Harry frowns "So there's wizard Nazis?"
"Yeah something like that."
"What were you talking about when you were talking about Slytherin and Hufflepuff?" Harry keeps asking.
"School houses, There's four." answers Hagrid for me "Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot of o' duffers, but-"
"That Draco kid said something similar. I bet I'm in Hufflepuff." Harry says gloomily.
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin." Hagrid says darkly... ow? "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."
"Haven said she thinks she might be a Slytherin though." Harry looks concerned.
"Oh, tha''s okay. not every Slytherin is bad either. Haven seems like a good enough kid." he smiles at me.
I smile back. But it is apparent, that being a Slytherin would have me face a lot of judgement from people who are a lot nicer than Draco Malfoy.