6 Chapter 6: A visit to the Diagon Alley.
Rigel POV:
It was an hour after lunch when mum informed me to tidy myself and wear a robe. I decided to go with a simple black robe with silver linings. Me being a mini version of mum made it a given for me to be extremely cute and future-handsome.
And before anybody asks, I and Draco don't look all that alike, we took after dad and mum respectively...
I came down the stairs to see mum waiting for me in a classy ash green dress that was a beautiful piece of work but not something that I could be satisfied with, you know, being a famous man comes with a nice fashion sense as well.
"Are we taking the carriage?" I asked her.
"No, we're apparating today" she answered.
I noticed that Draco was nowhere to be seen, so I asked "Where's Draco? Isn't he going with us?"
"No, your father took him along with him when he left for the Wizengamont this morning, to get acquainted with the 'right' people,"
'That makes sense. Draco being the eldest must deal with all of this and then the title of Nobility that our Malfoy family has carried for centuries.' I chuckled at his misfortune and took mum's arm and the world twisted.
Side Apparition sucks. A lot....
It's like your stomach is being turned over and then back, your head is spinning and your vision is blurred. I would prefer Floo any time of the day!
When my vision cleared I notice that we're in Muggle city.
'Muggle London' I thought.
"Where are we?" I asked just to be sure.
"We are in Muggle London" answered mum.
'Muggle London? But why are we here?' The confusion must have shown on my face because she immediately answered.
"We're here because it's not allowed to apparate directly to the Diagonal Alley. We have to enter through Leaky Cauldron."
We quickly move through the crowd to the back. The opening to the Alley is the same, the brick combination was the same as always, three up and two across. But what the books did not say was that to be opened, the bricks must be tapped with magic, or it would be like just another regular old wall from anywhere else.
The alley itself is beautiful, colorful, and full of life. The buildings are a bit pressed on each other for my taste but at least the street is wide enough. The wizards were really not big on town planning... The guys might not even know that something like that even exists.
"Where to first?"
"To the Gringotts" came the short reply.
As we walked I kept looking around us. The street was decorated with various shops, restaurants, cafés, and stalls. Some were more... unique than others, some looked antique. And before I noticed we arrived at the bank.
The Gringotts building is more majestic than the books could describe. It's made of snow-white marble and it's the best-looking building in the whole alley. But as a lots of other buildings, it's unfortunately askew.
*sigh* 'Another beautiful building destroyed'
The ones who design the wizarding architecture have either the highest quality or the worst shit to smoke... This can only come from either of the two options...
Upon entering to the bank we were greeted with cryptic message that every Potterhead knew by heart.
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.
Once we were behind the door I could see the goblins. The mini-profiteers were the same as always, to the point, and valued time and gold.
We moved to the teller and he escorted us to the Malfoy vault. We've gotten to the cart and after we were there it immediately started to move.
The ride was fun, even if mum looked slightly green in face when we finally stopped at, probably, our vault. Our vault number was 63. The entrance was in dark green stone. Once we entered I could see a room full of gold, treasure, books and other things piled up to the ceiling. On my side was a chest with a few dozen pouches.
"Pick one. It doesn't matter which one. Each holds a thousand galleons" mum said before I could ask. Sometimes I do wonder how she gets what I mean to say before I speak...
"Can I take few books as well" I asked. No way I'm leaving without at least ten of those books.
"Yes, but only five of them"
"Eight"
"Seven"
"Seven it is, you little hellion won't be missing them in Hogwarts anyway."
In the end I choose two books for transfiguration, one book on Duelling, two books on advanced potions, and two books on warding.
With everything we needed in my pocket, we could finally leave the bank.
When we were back on the street I took out the shopping list to decide the next course of action.
------
Shopping List:
First-year students will require:
UNIFORM.
Three sets of plain work robes (Black).
One plain pointed hat(Black) for day wear.
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar).
One winter cloak (Black, silver fastenings).
Please note that all student's clothes should carry name tags at all times.
...
BOOKS.
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk.
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot.
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling.
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch.
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore.
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.
Defense against Dark Arts: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT:
1 Wand.
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size).
1 set of glass or crystal vials.
1 telescope.
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring an owl or a cat or a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.
We shopped by the list till we were left with the trunk and the wand. I did not want to buy a pet since we already have owls in the family.
It took us about three minutes to arrive at the shop that sells trunks. Once we entered we were greeted by an old guy.
"Good afternoon, are you here for your first trunk?"
"Yes, we are."
"Well, and what kind of trunk would you like to have young man?"
"I'd like to have the trunk made from elm wood, lines with leather that can resist fire and water. It must have anti-theft, shrinking and weightless charms on it. Next, I would like multiple enlarged compartments."
"The first one will be a personal library to keep an enchanted bookcase and still be spacious enough for me to study in."
"The second would be a potion station to store potions and ingredients, that must be charmed to be cushioned and temperature regulated."
"The third will be for miscellaneous items and the next three will be empty, for now, that is, and the last one will be hidden, also empty but more secure. The trunk will have seven locks on it and each compartment will have a separate lock each and on on the trunk itself."
"Make it in the form of a suitcase and I think that's all."
When I finished I was greeted with a raised eyebrow from mum and a gaping jaw from the shopkeeper.
"Is there some problem?" It seems that snapped him out of whatever that was.
"Uh, yeah, yeah, sure. I will have it done in ahh three hours? yeah, three hours and a half top."
"Send it to the Malfoy Manor along with the bill." mum said as we left the shop.
"That was oddly specific, but quite expected when it comes from you, each day I find you more a Black than a Malfoy. I guess it is a good thing..." mum mused to herself with a nostalgic smile on her face.
Another five minutes of walking and an ice cream later, we arrived at Madam Malkin's. When we opened I noticed the shop was empty.
"Hogwarts, dear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
And like that conversation died.
After standing on the stool for about fifteen minutes we were told it will all be ready in about two hours.
"Excited for your wand?" mum asked with a doting smile on her beautiful face.
"I am," I answered with an equally bright smile, all of the few times I let my emotions free from my natural occulomency were with mum. I guess I can't help but admit that she means the world to me with all the love and care she has showered on me.
The Ollivander's wand shop is shabby looking building that have seen better days. I wonder when was the time wizards decided that it doesn't matter how things look. They have no sense of style. Sixty percent of the buildings in the Alley looks like they were never repaired after something happened to them. It honestly looks like from fourteenth century.
Innovation is nowhere to be seen...
Once we entered I saw the interior and it was impressive, shelves full of wands were to the ceiling. I didn't get to admire it more because it had to be interrupted.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy, here for your wand?" asked the creepy old man.
"Yes, Mr. Ollivander" I dutifully answered.
"Aahh Lady Malfoy, Walnut, Dragon heartstrings, slightly flexible, 10 3/4", still good I hope?"
"Yes, Mr. Ollivander" replied mom with a smile.
"Now, come here Mr. Malfoy"
I did as he asked and was immediately assaulted by the measuring tape and asked about my dominant arm, which was right as the majority of the population.
After a while the old man left and came back with three boxes.
"Try this one, Cherry, unicorn ha-No, no, no, not this one," He said before I could even touch it.
"Hmmm, what about this one. Elm, dragon heartstring 13", slightly flexible."
I took the wand, flicked and... nothing happened.
"Perhaps not. Now.. this one. Hawthorn, unicorn hair, reasonably springy, 10"."
Once I've gotten the wand in my hand I felt a small pulse of heat and then it was snatched again.
"Close, close" muttered Ollivander.
"Wait a moment please" Aaand he's gone.
About a minute later he came back with another box.
"Acacia, thunderbird tail feather, unyielding 14", try this one, Mr. Malfoy."
When the wand was in my hand I felt like my magic that was suppressed for years woke up again, like an untamable beast it roared as it was freed from its shackles. A white and gold illusion of a majestic bird flew out of the wand's tip and sang with pride and dominance. This is it! This is my wand, it feels like the arm I never knew I had or the one I was always missing.
"Curious, curious" Of course everything is curious for that old man.
"The wands made with thunderbird tail feathers are extremely powerful but difficult to master and were good for transfiguration work, and like the birds the feathers are taken from, they are able to sense danger and can cast curses on their own. They have been known to fire curses pre-emptively when the life of their wielder is threatened."
"While Acacia is a very unusual wand wood which created tricky wands that often refused to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withheld their best effects from all but those most gifted."
"This sensitivity rendered them difficult to place, and I have kept only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what was commonly known as 'bangs-and-smells' magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matched any for power, though it was often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament. Acacia wands were not used often, as in the wrong hands they would either be overpowered or extremely weak."
"So, you have to understand what this means young man, the wand that chose you is the pickiest wand that I have ever created, both the wood and the core would not choose a sup-par wizard, you are meant for great things, of this I can tell you..."
Thanking the man, we paid for the wand and took a holster and a maintenance kit for it before we left. We went back to the manor with the apparition and we continued with the rest of the day before I hit the haystack with a lot of plans since I have a wand now...
I guess that fate has quite a few things planned for me. Let's deal with things as they come...
A/N: Get me a few stones and leave a few nice comments for me to read the first thing in the morning.
PS: Please leave a comment if there are any mistakes with the chapter, I will get them fixed.
