8 06. Enchanted Emporium: Harry's Luxe Quest

The next place Hagrid led Harry to was the Flourish and Blotts to buy books. This was one of the shops in Diagon Alley that had a lot of hustle and bustle in it. This shop not only sold books but also school supplies and other kinds of recreational reading materials, judging by its appearance. Harry had been looking forward to it, ever since he fully accepted that magic was real earlier that day. When they stepped into the shop, the owner already had a small stack of school books for him a first year student, and he hadn't had a chance to look around. Fortunately, being a student entitled him to an automatic discount, making the purchase of so many books quite affordable.

Once he heard that, Harry couldn't help but look around to see what else was there, much to Hagrid's chagrin. "Harry, yeh gotta hurry. We need ta get back, the Dursley's 'll soon be chargin' home!! " Hagrid pleaded.

"I know, I know," Harry said and quickly browsed the books that he could see. The room was packed with shelves from floor to ceiling and had books of all different sizes and made from different materials. He didn't pay attention to the variety of book sizes and materials though. "He focused solely on the covers instead." One particular book, with a shimmering cover depicting a wizard casting a spell, stood out among the others. As Harry reached for it, Hagrid caught his hand, stopping him from touching the book.

"It's best to be tellin' yeh now," Hagrid said, with a serious look on his face. "As a student, yer not ta be usin' yer wand ta do magic at home."

"What? Why are you saying that?" Harry asked, shocked.

"You be 'earing this carefully-- It's against the law ta use magic in the muggle world, unless under special circumstances," Hagrid explained. "There's still penalties, mind yeh. Still broke the law, yeh see?"

Harry frowned at Hagrid, pondering about the several times he had used magic, and that didn't include the flying motorcycle. "Am I allowed to use magic here?"

"Sure," Hagrid said. "Ain't no one but magic folk around ta see it."

Harry thought about that. "Why?"

"Huh?" Hagrid looked confused.

"Why is it okay for kids to do magic here?" Harry asked. "I waved my wand and stuff happened. What if I do it at home by mistake?"

"Yeh'll get in trouble," Hagrid said. "Plus, yeh don't know any magic yet. Yeh got some trainin' up ta do before yeh can do anythin'."

"But, they'll know I'm a wizard. I have to tell..." Harry stopped talking. No, I don't have to tell them, he thought. I can just say that I was accepted at a boarding school that my mum and dad signed me up for.

Harry remembered how he had learned things in his old school. It was all repetition and memorization. They used books to teach you, and you did what the books said, then they tested you on what you remembered. He nodded and walked over to the counter.

"Do you have any books on casting spells?" Harry asked.

"All you need for your first year is this one," the clerk said and held up the school book called The Standard Book Of Spells Year 1 by Miranda Goshawk.

"I'm asking about your selection, not just what I need for my first year.," Harry said. "What about the other books for the rest of the students in Hogwarts?"

The clerk shot Harry a skeptical look, his brow furrowing as if questioning the validity of Harry's request. "You won't be needing them until you reach that year of study," he retorted with a hint of skepticism in his tone.

Harry was pretty sure the clerk was pulling his leg because, according to Uncle Vernon, everyone wanted to sell their things and make money. So he persisted, "Can I buy them anyway?"

The clerk hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by Harry's persistence. "I... suppose," he nodded reluctantly, turning to fetch the additional books Harry requested. "There are no rules against it," he added, still unsure of his decision.

Harry mentally noted that the spell books became thicker for each year, meaning they had a lot more spells in them. "Do you have any books about what wizards can do?"

The clerk nodded. "We have a whole series of books that's chock full of stories..."

"I don't want to read about wizards doing things," Harry cut him off. "I want to know what we can do."

"But..." The clerk looked confused and wasn't sure what to say.

"Do you have a book with a list of wizard powers?" Harry asked.

The clerk nodded and left the counter for a few minutes. He came back with a book called Powers You Never Knew You Had And What To Do With Them Now That You've Wised Up.

"I want Curses and Counter-Curses, too," Harry said and saw Hagrid flinch a little.

The clerk came back with the thick book of jinxes and added it to the pile. "Anything else?" he inquired with a bit of greed in his eyes.

"Do you have any other books like that?" Harry asked and pointed to the new tome.

"Only a few," the clerk said and came back with Practical Defensive Magic And Its Use Against The Dark Arts, Self-Defensive Spellwork, Basic Hexes For The Busy And Vexed, and Where There's A Wand There's A Way.

A couple of the books that were both large and thick, and Harry almost drooled at them. He was going to learn so much magic from them, and he couldn't wait to get started. He stopped himself before he showed eagerness on his face, however. He had learned not to do that years ago, especially with Dudley around. When Dudley found out that Harry liked something, it was either broken or gone the next day.

"He won't be doing that to me anymore," Harry thought with satisfaction.

"Will there be anything else, young man?" The clerk asked rubbing his hands together.

"I need something to put all these things in," Harry said and looked at the pile of books. There was no way that he was going to be able to carry all of it by himself.

"They sell trunks at Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment," the clerk offered. "It's just down the alley a bit. You can't miss it."

"We'll be needing ta stop there fer yer scales and telescope anyways, Harry," Hagrid said, chiming in as he looked at the pile of books. "I'll carry them for you until then."

"Thank you," Harry said.

The clerk quickly did up the books into several packages. One was the school books for year one, one was for the other school year spell books, and one was for the extra books Harry bought. With ease Hagrid hoisted the bundles onto his shoulders, and they left the bookshop. Making their way down the street, they entered Wiseacre's.

"I'd like a magic trunk, please," Harry said. The pretty woman behind the counter gave him a surprised look, then she laughed. "Kids say the darnedest things!" She said and smiled widely at Hagrid. "Your son is just the most precious thing!"

Hagrid's face turned red at the compliment, even though Harry wasn't his son. "Blimey," he said. "This here's Harry. He'll be needing his school things."

"Of course," the woman said and quickly retrieved the cheapest scales and telescope she had on had prepared for every new wizard who enters her shop. "No," Harry said, because even he could see that they were shabby. He was done with having shabby things and making do with hand-me-downs. "Show me the best ones you have."

The woman's bright smile dimmed a little as she looked at Hagrid's patchwork clothes. "I'm sure that..."

"He's not my father," Harry said. "I will be buying them all with my own money."

The woman's smile faded away as she looked at his baggy clothes. "These items are..."

"If you won't sell me what I want, is there somewhere else I can buy them?" Harry interrupted her.

 The woman frowned and replied curtly. "No. This is the only shop that sells wizarding equipment." 

"Then give me the expensive ones," Harry said and pushed the cheap ones aside. The woman's frown deepened, and she decided that she would just shock the poor boy with the best and most expensive scales and the most powerful telescope that she had. She left the counter for several minutes and came back with a large wooden box. She put it on the counter and left again. She came back with a one-foot square box and set it on top of the other one. "These are the most accurate scales that have ever existed," the woman said and opened the smaller box to show off the golden-colored and glittering mechanism. Even the most pure blood and richest families balk at the price of it, she thought. "It's auto-leveling and even has enchantments to be unbreakable and unscratchable."

Harry nodded in approval accepting her pitch, and she moved the box aside and opened the large one. "This is the largest and most powerful telescope ever made. It has every option available, and there are only three of them in existence. One is in my own personal observatory and the other is owned by the renowned astrologer Aurora Sinistra. She is currently a professor at Hogwarts," she said. "This is the third one."

"I'll take it," Harry said without hesitaing and reached into his money bag. "I'll need a set of crystal vials, too."

"Young man, I'm not sure that you understand how much..." The woman gasped when Harry took out several handfuls of galleons and started counting them. "Seven for the vials," Harry said and passed them to her. "How much are the scales?"

"T-t-twenty-five galleons and ten sickles," the woman said, her face red from embarrassment for the outrageous price, because the normal brass scales were only three galleons. "That's all?" Harry asked and counted out the right amount and left it on the counter. "What about the telescope?"

"It... it's eighty-five galleons and fifteen sickles," the woman said in inscrutable daze, handing over a set of crystal vials while was Harry counting out the money for the telescope.

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