11 Chapter 11: Trip to Diagon Alley
Minerva McGonagall was the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts, Head of Gryffindor House and also the professor who taught transfiguration.
But despite having all those high positions and the corresponding responsibilities, she would always make time every year for the special occasion, that is, introducing muggleborn witches or wizards to magical world.
She tries her best to make it as comfortable as she could, for the muggle family to accept magic and send their child to Hogwarts.
She was pretty surprised this morning, when she looked up the Hogwart's directory where the name and address of the wizards and witches who are eligible to attend Hogwarts, were recorded.
It was quite rare for muggle household to have two magical children at the same time.
...
It was at 9 o'clock when she reached the Granger residence.
Ringing the doorbell twice, she waited.
"Kent, look who's at the door," came a female voice from the house.
"Okay mom," answered a boy.
Soon she heard a pair of footsteps.
A brown haired boy opened the door.
"Who are you, ma'am?" the boy asked politely.
"I am Minerva McGonagall, a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she introduced herself.
Looking at the puzzle expression of the boy, she chuckled and said, "it'd be better if you call you parents."
...
"So, you are saying that magic is real and both of my children are magical," asked Mrs. Granger with an unbelievable expression.
"Madam, I think you need to see a doctor," remarked Mr. Granger in the middle.
"Dan, don't be rude," Mrs. Granger sternly warned Mr. Granger.
"It's alright," Professor McGonagall smiled. She was not offended by Mr. Granger's rude words. She deals with similar things every year.
"A demonstration would dispel your doubts, I hope?" offered professor McGonagall.
"If you can, that is," rebuked Mr. Granger.
Professor McGonagall waved the wand in her right hand and tapped twice on the tea cup sitting on the table. The moment the tip of the wand touched the cup for the second time, it changed into a breathing, living bird.
The Granger couple were shocked seeing the tea cup turned into bird. The whole thing happened in front of their eyes leaving them no chance to rebute her claim.
On the side, Kent was looking curiously at professor's demonstration. It was the first time he had seen magic right in front of him. He had already activated the record function of the system library. As said in the introductions, the system records informations in any form, be it pictorial or written.
After introducing the Granger family to the wonders of the magical world and informing them of the advantages of magical education, the professor produced two envelopes from her robes and handed them to Mrs. Granger.
"There is a list of all necessary books and equipment inside the envelope along with the letter," added the professor.
"You don't have to decide immediately." reminded professor McGonagall seeing the parent's hesitation and continued, "but I hope that you will allow your children to attend Hogwarts as it can be very dangerous for your children if they don't learn to control their magic powers."
"There will be a post owl waiting for your reply," she reminded them.
After coming out of the house, professor McGonagall dissappeared as if squeezed into nothingness.
It didn't take long for the Granger couple to reach a decision.
After a bit of thinking and discussion, considering the danger of not learning how to control magical powers, it was decided that Kent and Hermione would attend Hogwarts.
...
After getting the positive response from the Granger family, professor herself decided to be their guide to buy required books and equipment in Diagon Alley.
It was 11 o'clock when professor McGonagall picked them up. They travelled to the Charing Cross road using non-magical transport as she knew that it would be uncomfortable for the Granger family to travel using "Apparition" – a rather convenient magical teleportation skill.
"This is one of oldest pub in London, 'The Leaky Cauldron'. It is also the entrance to Diagon Alley where we are going to buy the supplies," Professor McGonagall opened the worn out grey door sandwiched between a book shop and a record store. It was situated in such conspicuous place but most people walking by didn't even glance at it.
The Granger family followed her in.
The moment they stepped in, they felt the change in atmosphere. It was like they travelled back to Victorian age. The pub was a bit dingy and dark. It was dimly lit with candles. Their presence didn't cause any changes in the lively atmosphere of the pub.
"Hello Professor McGonagall. Hogwart's students?" asked the bartender politely sizing up the two teens following behind the professor.
"Yes Tom," said the professor with stern face. There was a significant change in her attitude from when she talked with Granger family.
Soon they followed the professor into a chilly courtyard surrounded by brick wall.
The wall on the front had a few bricks missing from the centre.
'It was made purposefully,' Kent concluded looking at the groove.
Professor McGonagall took out her wand and tapped on the bricks around the groove in sequence.
Kent memorised the position of the bricks as well as the sequence of the tapping.
Soon on the fifth tap, the bricks started rearranging itself.
The professor stepped back.
The bricks pulled away by itself forming an archway leading to a street bursting with people wearing long hats and robes.
If entering the pub was like traveling back in time to the Victorian age then entering Diagon Alley was like stepping into a whole new world.
Kent deeply wished at the time that he was taller. The streets were so densely packed that it was very difficult for him to see the shops. He could only see the top of buildings that were slightly tilted toward the street.
"We will first go to Gringotts to change the muggle money to wizarding currency," said professor McGonagall.
"What is Gringotts, professor? Is it a Bank?" asked Kent.
"Yes it is the largest bank in wizarding world. It is run by goblins," answered professor McGonagall.
"Stay close to me," said the professor looking at the overcrowded street.
On the way to the Gringotts bank, Kent would occasionally glance around him as if looking for something.
'Looks like she can't feel it,' thought Kent as he took a glance at Hermione.
From the moment he had entered Diagon Alley, he could feel a slight stinging sensation throughout his body. He knew that it was his danger sense that was warning him. Although it was very faint but still dangerous.
So he would occasionally glance back or sideways to determine the source.
Instead of finding out the source, he found a pretty significant flaw of his danger sense skill. It was very difficult to find the source of danger in an overcrowded area.
"Hermione, I felt slight danger a few seconds ago," Kent whispered to Hermione.
Her muscle tightened on hearing Kent's words.
"I think what I sensed was hostility. But its better to be careful though," added Kent.
Hermione nodded. If it was really dangerous she would've also felt it. Her sense were less sensitive or it would be better to say that Kent's senses were too sharp.
'Looks like we reached the bank,' thought Kent as his eyes fell on a very tall white building with "GRINGOTTS BANK" written in bold letters on the front balcony structure.
The whole building was made of white jade stone. The design was a bit trippy though, not that it was ugly but the whole building was asymmetrical.
They entered the bank through a burnished bronze door followed by small entrance hall and another set of doors made of silver.
"Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there, "
Kent read the warning engraved on the silver door.
"It is the safest place in the world for safekeeping your money and valuables, expect for Hogwarts, that is," said Professor McGonagall with pride. It was difficult to discern whether she was proud of Gringotts or Hogwarts or it was both.
Passing through the door, they reached marble Hall.
'They don't look much different from what I had in my mind,' Kent thought seeing the hundred or so Goblins sitting at the counters. They were short with pointed beard and equally pointed nose and ears. Their fingers and feet were very long.
...
After changing few thousand pounds to galleons, they followed professor McGonagall to Madam Malkin's to buy robes and hats for Kent and Hermione.
It took a bit of time to fit them for their robes separately. After that they went straight to Flourish and Blotts bookstore located next to Madam Malkin's shop.
The inside of bookstore was bigger compared to what they saw from outside.
It was filled with shelves stacked to the ceiling.
Looking at so many books, Kent had a urge to just record each and every book using the system library. Unfortunately, It was not the right time and the manager probably wouldn't allow him.
They bought only one copy of each book in the list that was included in the envelope alongside the Hogwarts letter.
Kent and Hermione had suggested that it would be wasteful to buy same books for them separately as they could just share it. The professor also supported the decision.
Except for the Hogwarts textbooks, they also bought some other books which included books about the history of magical world like the one titled "Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century" and "The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts", a book on potion making and the theory behind it and also an encyclopedia about different magical plants and fungi.
As it was not allowed for them to practice magic in "muggle world" except for special cases, so Kent decided that in the remaining time before they attended Hogwarts, he would make full use of the system and learn the "subtle art of making potions" as Snape would call it and if possible, try to come up with new useful recipes using the optimization function of the system.
After buying the other necessary supplies like cauldron and telescope, they headed down the alley to buy wands for Kent and Hermione.
Passing by a pet shop, they stopped in front of an old shop with an window display consisting of a single wand resting on a faded purple cushion.
"Olivander's, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C," read Kent looking at the words inlaid with gold.
The family of four followed the professor into the shop. There was a chime of the bell when the professor opened the door.
The shop was quiet and had a dusty feeling to it.
There were thousands of narrow boxes piled right up to the ceiling.
'Do all of them contain Wands or they are just for show?' Kent wondered.
"Minerva McGonagall, nine and a half inch, Fir, dragon heartstring. Buying wand for new students?" said an old man who appeared from behind a shelf stacked with boxes containing wands.
"Yes Mr. Ollivander," she said and pointed toward the two teens standing beside her, "Mr and Ms. Granger will be buying their wands,"
"Ah, first generation, I see. eh?" Mr. Olivander suddenly felt something and looked back.
"Oh my! Is it...?" muttered Mr. Ollivander as he hurried to the room at back of the store.
The family of four was shocked at his odd behaviour, professor McGonagall wasn't an exception. It was first time she had seen Mr. Ollivander so excited and she had visited the shop many times as a guide to muggleborn witches and wizards.
"I'll be! It is the third time, I am observating this phenomenon in my shop!" Mr. Ollivanders came out from the room with a cream coloured box in his hand. The box was occasionally producing sparks of red and gold.
"What happened, Mr. Ollivander?" Kent asked Mr. Olivander looking curiously at the oddly sparkling box.
"Vine wands do tend to produce magical effect in presence of a suitable owner and I think I just know who it is," said Mr. Ollivander looking at Hermione who was looking at the box in a daze.
He opened the box, took out a yellowish wand about ten inch long and handed it to Hermione.
The moment Hermione hold the wand, it produced a final bright spark of red before returning to normal.
"Quite a strong reaction," Mr. Ollivander looked curiously at Hermione before he turned his attention to Kent.
"Which one's your dominant hand?" asked Mr. Ollivander.
"Right. I am right handed, sir," answered Kent.
Mr. Ollivander produced a measuring tape from his pocket and took a rough measurement of Kent's right hand.
"Ah, I know just the right wand for you," said Mr. Ollivander as he walked back to shelves.
Soon he came back with a black box in his hand.
"Ten and a half inch made of Ebony wood with dragon heartstrings as it's core," He handed a dark brown coloured wand to Kent.
There was no special effect whatsoever when Kent held the wand. He also didn't feel anything different.
"Give it a wave," instructed Mr. Ollivander.
Kent did so aiming toward the shelves on the front.
"Hmm...?" Kent felt a familiar sensation passing through his spine towards his right hand the moment he waved the wand.
But soon he was snapped out of his stupor both by his mother's voice and the sound of boxes falling on the ground.
"Be careful, Kent!" Mrs. Granger scolded her son and ordered him to apologise to the shopkeeper for making a mess.
"I am very sorry, Mr. Ollivander," apologised Kent sincerely and put the wand on the counter.
"No worries. This happens all the time and they are just a spell away from being sorted into the right place," said Mr. Ollivander light and flicked his original wand toward the fallen boxes. In the next moment the boxes flew back to the shelf and sorted themselves into their original places.
"Not the right wand, I suppose," Mr. Ollivander put the wand back to the box and went back to the shelves.
Soon he came out of the passage between two shelves on the right hand side. He had four boxes in his hand.
Kent tried them one by one but found no suitable match.
"Quite the tricky customer. Let's try a tricky wand then," muttered Mr. Ollivander as he went to room at the back of shop.
While Mr. Ollivander was busy picking the right wand, Kent was reminiscing about the sensation he felt when he was trying out the previous wands.
It took a bit of time for Mr. Ollivander to come out. This time he had only one box in his hand.
"This one's a unique wand with an unusual combination. I had tried making a second one only to end in a failure," Mr. Ollivander explained the story behind the wand.
"Why so, Mr. Ollivander?" asked Kent looking curiously at the yellowish wand.
"Cedar wood known for choosing owner with strong characters and loyalty never tend to mix with feathers from phoenix known for its detached and aloof temperament. It was by an experimental accident that I was able to make the wand," explained Mr. Ollivander and handed the nine and half inch long wand to Kent.
The moment he touched the wand, Kent knew he had found the right wand. It was like the last piece of puzzle settled into the right position and he became whole. The feeling was very magical.
From the side, they saw Kent glowing faintly with red which subsided on the next second.
"Very good, I expect great things from both of you," said Mr. Ollivander.
Paying 14 galleons for the Wands, the family came out of the shop.
After escorting the Granger family out of the Leaky Cauldron, professor McGonagall disappeared.
The Granger family took a bus and returned home. On the way back, Kent and Hermione remained vigilant.
Kent's danger sense was triggered quite a few times while shopping in Diagon Alley.
They were not sure if the hostile party or parties would follow them back. So just to be safe, they were ready to fight in a moment's notice.
