Chapter 1 A. The Leaky Cauldron

Aphrodite

While we were looking at the passage he started to cross it with us following at his heels.

"What is the "Diagonal Alley" Hagrit? " Irene asked in wonder as she looked at the empty road.

" Well, it's London's largest shopping street for magical trade goods. On it you can find every kind of shop and get everything you need for the school year and not. We'll visit tomorrow though." He said, laughing at the end.

"So we're going shopping? " I said excitedly, while receiving a small look from Irene and a positive nod from Hagrid.

After this short conversation Hagrid let us look around. However, I didn't get to see much as he stopped in front of a wooden door. The building looked old but the energy it gave off was warm and gave you a feeling of melancholy. Of course what had caught my attention was a black iron sign hanging almost above the door.

The more I looked at it, the more I understood that what it was holding was a witch who was stirring a large cauldron.

Shaking Irene to see it too, I realized that she wasn't in an easy position to see anything since, she was staring, half asleep at the big wooden brown door trying not to fall asleep.

Hagrit opened it with a gesture and motioned for us to follow his door into the tavern.

Stepping into the place, the first inhale that permeated my nose made me realize that H Ross didn't ventilate often. The strong smell that stirred my stomach was the mixture of many herbs, alcohol and gunpowder, though I certainly wouldn't call it a scent.

I grunted in displeasure and as I didn't have much time to deal with it, first taking a deep breath, I closed my nose while I was now well into the tavern with its few customers.

We had spread almost the entire aisle of empty seats when Irene's dog approached a black dog cozying up to the fireplace. The second dog didn't even move when Irene approached him and took Arko, who was in the mood for toys, in her arms.

"I'm sorry if he disturbed you, I'll take him. " She told him and I looked at her curiously, however, I was more impressed by the bored look she gave her too her attitude.

"Hello Tom " Hagrid said in his booming voice startling, me and the group of young men sitting at a secluded table.

"Hello Hagrid, what can I do for you today?" said a duckling coming out of the surface holding a stick while a few feet away a musty swab was following him, wiping a wooden cup.

I scratched my face at the sight. There's no cleanliness or sanitation; what sane people drink from such glasses? Logically so that he wouldn't know and I wouldn't see any more staff.

"I've come about what we discussed with Dumbledore at the time." Hagrid said conspiratorially and I looked at them in confusion.

As I thought about what they could have been talking about, I preferred not to miss the conversation that hadn't yet progressed, so I set my ear back up.

I certainly didn't understand it all, but Irene would have definitely gotten a little too much from me if she didn't look so sleepy and wasn't about to fall asleep with the dog in her lap.

"So soon? I thought she was coming at the end of the month. Now I haven't had time to prepare a room big enough for two people." He replied in a curious tone that seemed to displease both me and Hagrit.

The benevolent giant's countenance changed in an instant, his eyes were as if they were shooting fire and his voice became so loud that the company a few tables away from us were startled again.

"My guests are tired and cold, we don't care what size the room is, but please we need it now! " Said Hagrid with a look of menace, and from the fright he felt, every drop of colour drained from the face of the man, who went by the name of Tom, then, with hurried movements, he ran into the room behind him.

Not a minute had passed when Grandpa handed Hagrit a pair of keys while smiling apologetically at him.

"You will go to the second floor, room 22," said Mr. Tom, and Hagrid smiled.

"Thank you very much" said Hagrid, smiling finally, then turned to us and motioned for us to follow him.

After a short walk, a short flight of stairs and some more walking down the corridor, the big man led us out the door of room number 22. As soon as the door opened, I looked around curiously. The first thing that caught my attention was the huge wooden bed with the huge canopy that felt incredibly soft and beautiful, I bet Irene was thinking the same thing although I bet she was more interested in getting under the covers than anything else.

But beyond the bed was a large sour wardrobe and a huge wooden table with 3 chairs around it.

On the bright side, this room was completely unrelated to the rest of the building, the smell of lavender combined with the freshness of the clean sheets of the king-size bed.

After letting us process the space, Hagrit sat down in a nearby chair and motioned for us to join him. From the serious look on his face I knew that for the first time he was going to talk to us about something serious.

"For the next few weeks this room will be your home and school." He said in a soft voice.

"School? But the letter said we were going to Hogwarts, how did we end up in a room doing lessons?" Irene said in a thoughtful tone.

"School starts in a month, and since you'll be entering your years, you have to do schoolwork to make up for all your gaps. "Said Hagrit with a bowed head.

"Two teachers from the school will come for a few hours and by the end of the month you'll be ready for the new school year." He went on and gave us an apologetic smile.

Then he bid us good night and left the room leaving us looking around the room in amazement.